Thanks for the information regarding the building hours. It would also be helpful to post the class/room schedules on both Z-lab doors (similar to the CNTV campus buildings).

Would it be possible to have sign up sheets outside the door, similar to the Avid Edit Labs, for the Z-Lab computers? Some of us commute to campus and it would be impossible to get work done without a reasonable reserved time slot. I think this would be the easiest way to avoid conflicts and confusion about using the computer stations.

Are the signs on the ZML computers just to keep anyone from making a drastic change to the systems e.g. formatting, reinstalling, etc?

There seems to still be confusion among employees at Zemeckis as to the official closing times, in fact, they have indicated a lack of an official closing time. I was told by some employees tonight that at the beginning of the school year the schedule is to close the building earlier (tonight they closed at 10 pm) and at some undetermined point in the future it would be open longer, when perceived demand is larger (i.e. more people are in the building). It is my hope that this is genuine confusion and not employees who want to leave early. I've contacted Alan again to hopefully clear the situation up.

The point still remains that you can't really stay as late as you want. I don't know what will happen with that but you need to focus first on what you can do with the existing schedule, even if it is unclear. We will try to get some firm times from Zemeckis.

I suggest you all go to bed early for now if possible and get up and to it early. Sometimes getting up really early in the wee hours of the morning pumped with stress will give you the same creative high you will get at midnight. I felt that in the last few weeks before my thesis show.

Putting signs on computers is fine but we need to do something more official and less silly-looking. I will keep reminding you not to leave food and empty bottles all over the place even if I have to shame you by posting pictures of your mess on the blog. I will buy you a dirt devil if I have to and make you vacuum. Paper mess, cable mess, creative mess GOOD. Crumbs, wet food, sticky cans, BAD.

As for configuring machines, right now only Mike and myself are authorized to change configurations. I am not clear yet on whether you want the machines wiped and software reinstalled but if you do, I really can't do it until the EA event is out of the way. Still I need your wishlists and you need to schedule time with me individually to discuss your interests and potential project needs.

In the meantime, working around limitations is the true test of your creative potential. Sometimes, when you are given everything you end up with nothing. Don't get caught up in that. You don't have an infinite amount of time to graduate. We will all fight to defend your best interests but we need ammo: the best you can do as is needs to be darn fantastic.

Andrew, I asked Jen a similar question and the following is her e-mail:

Classes will be there as follows:

Monday: 7-9pm CTIN 558
Tuesday: 11am-2pm CTIN 532
Wednesday: 6-9pm Seminar for all students
Thursday: 2-6pm CTIN 555a; 6:30-9:30pm CTIN 534

The rest of the time should be open to use, except when there are special
things that often have to happen in there. There is going to be a calendar set up on the blog which
will track what is happening there on any given day. Otherwise, the lab is open as long
as the building is open.

My question about the signs was really just to find out what they signify exactly.

Maybe I can clear a few things up. The signs on the computers (at least the ones I am thinking you are mentioning) that have individual names on them are for the Advanced Interactive Class (3rd year) and it was more about starting our homes at a station and sticking to that one spot as our home base throughout our thesis projects. This in no way affects anyone else and their usage of those stations, nor were those signs intentionally put there to shoo anyone else away. They simply mean, this is the spot that has been claimed by so and so for their thesis, please be respectful of the wishes of that individual for the time being regarding the space. aka, read "My butt will most likely be planted in this seat for a long time, with my crap strewn about that station, please don't get upset if you need this exact machine at this exact moment."

Once we get roaming profiles up and running with a true server, your files and your accounts will be accesible from any terminal (and that's as it should be). This will happen once we get the server in place.

We definitely need to get a posted schedule on the door. That will help everyone. Problem with that is the times in between classes are still in flux fairly rapidly, so we will have to play nicely with one another until we can get the blog scheduling system up and running.

As for the Zemeckis times, well, those are the Zemeckis times. That's really all I can say. Please remind any of the student workers at the front desk of this if they try to kick you out earlier, they should all know the times now as it has been announced to all of them by Alan. Please be respectful.

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