Student violates technology policy

Ohio University freshman Dave Krupar had the Internet turned off in his room and received a warning from the university for sending mass e-mails to students from his business, www.collegefoodcoupons.com.

Krupar's Web site provides a way for local businesses to advertise and for students to receive coupons by joining his mailing list, Krupar said.

The university turned off the Internet in Krupar's room because he violated the university's information and technology policy and procedure, Krupar said.

According to the information and technology policy and procedure Web site,

>www.ohiou.edu/policy/91-003.html, a student is forbidden to Use resources for private financial gain or compensation except as permitted under Ohio University Policy and Procedure 17.900 or for partisan political purposes.

Sean O'Malley, IT communications manager from Communication Network Services, said Krupar also violated the policy of general abuse to the system by sending out something that most people did not want to receive.

Krupar received a warning from the university, which is usually the university's approach to first-time policy breakers when no malice is involved, O'Malley said. This is not true for every case though. They try to exercise good judgment depending on the case, O'Malley said.

O'Malley would not give out the specific details of Krupar's warning, but he said it probably consisted of a statement telling Krupar what he did wrong, not to do it again and giving him some acceptable, legal alternatives to advertise his business.

Students do not get in trouble for compiling e-mail lists if they can figure out how to do it, because that information is public knowledge, O'Malley said.

There are legitimate ways to build a list of addresses O'Malley said.

Katie Frost, a senior forensic chemistry major from Chicago, said it does not bother her that Krupar was able to e-mail her because anybody can find her name on the electronic directory anyway.

O'Malley was not worried about Krupar getting the list of e-mail addresses, but said it was a lengthy process that takes an understanding of the directory. Blocking the ability for students to get all student e-mail addresses would render the electronic directory useless, he said.

OU has spam filters on the Oak e-mail accounts to keep the majority of junk mail from entering students' computers, O'Malley said. He would not give out specific details about how these spam filters work, but he did say they look at a number of criteria before considering it spam. Even though the university filters e-mails, they do not read them.

We don't do content snooping

O'Malley said.