To the Editor:
As much as I would like to celebrate having access to an alumni e-mail account for life, in reality trying to use my alumni e-mail account has been more of a burden than a blessing.
I have experienced a near constant stream of problems from the service. My troubles have mostly been attributed to being unable to access the mail server for large periods of time. This seems to happen very frequently—at least a couple times a week.
The inability to access the mail server alone is enough to deter me from using this as an e-mail account. But wait—there’s more! I have learned of late from several people that they have at times been completely unable to e-mail me at my alumni e-mail address. This is completely unacceptable. It reflects badly on the Office of Alumni Relations, RPI in general, and if I give the e-mail address out in a professional manner, it reflects badly on me.
The problems that I have relegate RPI alumni e-mail to near worthlessness in my eyes. I cannot trust it to either receive messages or be able to access my e-mail in a timely manner. At this point, I am ashamed that I ever gave this e-mail address to anyone.
If the Office of Alumni Relations really wants to offer e-mail for life to Rensselaer alumni, then I suggest they take a good look at the current system and addresses the glaring inadequacies of its service so as not to appear technically incompetent, because that is the impression that I get.
Kenneth Page
MECL ’02
Meanest Man speaks out
To the Editor:
I am delighted that the RPI community was able to raise so much money for the Meanest Man on Campus competition. In fact, you raised so much money it must mean you still have some to spare. I have alerted the Troy Building of this fact.
I am pleased (beyond words any of you may even hope of comprehending) in winning the competition against such mean and vile candidates. I am not surprised (I stuffed the ballot box), but I am pleased that the other candidates were either too cheap or too uninspired to buy the election. I must admit some disappointment in no longer being able to move on my campaign threats. I was counting on saving the Institute money by shutting down all the SolidWorks license servers for the remainder of the semester. I also liked the idea of replacing all your cable TV with my CAD lectures (new on ABC this fall, “Who wants to marry a CAD guy?”). I fear that my plan to control the curriculum with my teaching philosophy (no assignment too large, no grade too low, no credit given) will have to remain in EG&CAD for the foreseeable future. At the very least, I might convince everyone that we can keep doing EG&CAD but at half a credit.
Normally, it would be fitting to thank my campaign managers, Dave Tu, Serge Basturecu, and Kevin Woolsey for their outstanding work; but I’m mean so I won’t. I will suck up and thank President Jackson for her support in my election as MMOC. In fact, her confidence in me is so high she started building my new office space by Old School 14 and a parking garage for my expected entourage prior to this election.
Finally, I would like to close with some words to my students. Why are you reading this? Haven’t I given you enough work to do? There’s more work where the last batch came from. You only have two weeks left, you don’t have time to read this. I don’t want to hear how busy you are if you have time to read banal satirical editorials. Wash behind your ears, eat your vegetables, and don’t forget to call home.
Douglas H. Baxter
Director CAD/CAM/CAE
