Technology

Tips on technology: Use Internet and audio-visual resources at MGP summit

All the currently scheduled events at "Democracy & Independence: Sharing News & Politics in a Connected World" will be held in the Murray D. Lincoln Campus Center at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Built in the late 1960s, the 11-story campus center includes a 116-room hotel, a University Store (including books), a large concourse area and two restaurants run by UMass Food Services in addition to multiple dining rooms, meeting rooms and a large ballroom. It is literally near the graphic center of the 1,463-acre campus.

Who to contact about A/V and connectivity

If you have questions about Internet connectivity and audio-visual resources which are not answered by this page, you may contact the Media Giraffe Project's conference tech staffer, Mike Deehan, at mdeehan(at)mediagiraffe.org. Please use email for non-urgent queries,but if you're really stuck, Mike's cell phone is 781-974-7878.

Internet -- getting connected

For a temporary ID/password to use wireless and wired Internet services on the UMass campus you must complete and submit a form by June 23. Here you will find the form as a PDF or MSWord document.

All of the meeting rooms, the ballroom, the concourse and public areas are served by WiFi wireless Internet. Each registered conference participant will have the option of receiving at no charge a five-day user-name and password for guest Internet access, upon signing a user agreement when arriving and registering. The account will also work on the WIRED Internet service in Gorman Hall, the official conference dormitory residence. There will be no wireless service in the dorm. The campus Office of Instructional Technology administers Internet access. The OIT Help Desk can be reached at 413-545-9400 Mon.-Fri. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Guests Internet users are subject to all University policies regarding acceptable use as outlined on this page. UMass considers any violation of acceptable use principles or guidelines to be a serious offense. UMass reserves the right to copy and examine any files or information resident on University systems allegedly related to unacceptable use and to protect our network from systems and events that threaten or degrade operations. Machines that contain viruses, malware, or are otherwise compromised will be detected and immediately removed from the campus network. It should be expected that infected or compromised machines will not be reconnected during the scheduled event.

MAIN UMASS WIRELESS PAGE
WIRELESS HOTSPOTS

Audio-visual resources

All meeting breakout rooms are equipped with wireless and wired Internet connectivity. The principal breakout rooms have build-in overhead LCD projectors, pull-down screens and a built in sound system. Check this page as the conference draws near for detailed information about what cables or configurations you will need to connect, and where to go to test your setup upon arrival at UMass.

Public Internet terminals

There will be at least one workstation at the Media Cafe which conference attendees can use to check personal web-based email, and one workstation in Gorman Hall. If you do not bring your own computer, but request a temporary campus Internet account when registering, you will be able to use one of dozens of terminals in the W.E.B. DeBois Library's "Learning Commons," a state-of-the-art online resource center opened in the fall of 2005. The library is a five-minute walk from the Campus Center. Printing is availble from Learning Center workstations for a fee.

Cell and land phone service

Cellular (mobile) phone service is excellent throughout the UMass campus and in the Gorman Hall residence dorm we will be using. The land phones in the the dormitory will be inactive. Refer back to this page closer to the conference start date for a list of emergency-contact numbers.