by Whitney Carter
In the past year I have been just a little frustrated with the internet here on campus. Sometimes it is amazing and I can spend hours on Facebook and streaming the latest YouTube comedy, but other times I have to install safe connect for the seemingly hundredth time in order to get any signal at all.
My friends and I discussed this and it seems to be happening to everyone.
I interviewed Jeremy Vonderfecht, a freshman computer science major, to see what he thought about the situation. He does not believe that Safeconnect is necessary.
“I’ve installed safe connect at least 72 times this year,” Vonderfecht said. “Other schools and organizations with more rigorous security protocol have managed without something like Safeconnect.”
I strongly dislike the Safeconnect system. I understand that we need an internet security system in place to protect the school, but I do not think that the current system is working.
From what I understand, Safeconnect protects our computers as well as the Whitworth network.
The irony of Safeconnect, for me at least, is that my virus protection system that I need to install Safeconnect and connect to the Whitworth server, blocks Safeconnect from installing.
Vonderfecht suggests a more individual approach rather than the Safeconnect system.
“Other schools have protection of the servers, but not the protection of individual computers,” Vonderfecht said, “If I want to get viruses, I should be able to get all the viruses that I can.”
I would like to see the system improved. I am not an authority on the subject, so I do not really know how it should be improved, but Vonderfecht believes the Safeconnect system should be abolished completely.
“I would like it if the university would look into other protocol that other universities are using,” Vonderfecht said.”
It is really annoying to have to log on and install Safeconnect every single day.
I have been to other universities where there are not nearly as many hoops to jump through in order to maintain a consistent internet connection. I would really like it if there were a way for a stronger internet all over campus without as many steps. Simple is better.
Contact Whitney Carter at wcarter16@my.whitworth.edu