FOCUS ON PROGRAMS:
- Extension faculty & staff are invited to join Project CENTRL Class XIX during a "20:20 Foresight: 21st Century Technology & Rural Arizona" session featuring Futurist Bob Treadway on Saturday, February 23 from 8:30-11:00am at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel Conference Center, 1900 E. Speedway Blvd. (SE corner of Speedway & Campbell Avenue) in Tucson. Treadway's presentation will include areas of information technology, genetics, biotechnology, nanotechnology, robotics, and their influences in energy, healthcare, communication, entertainment, and government. Treadway is a consulting futurist and forecaster with a 21-year background of helping organizations and individuals anticipate the future. For background information, go to Treadway's website at www.trendtalk.com. Please RSVP to Karen Vanderheyden by Friday, February 22 if you plan to attend this session.
- Spirit of the Sun (SOS) Douglas Youth, Enrique Franco, Jessica Ackley, Ray Larez and Gloria Ortega, presented their mission, goals and current activities at the Cochise County Cooperative Extension Meeting held on Monday, February 11, at the Gadsden Hotel in Douglas. SOS youth explained their role as advocates for a stronger youth voice in building a safer, healthier and more unified community. The youth also described their vision of a youth run youth center to provide a safe and positive setting for all youth in Douglas. SOS Douglas is a partnership between the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences ( Lynne Borden and Joyce Serido) and Cochise Cooperative Extension ( Darcy Tessman , Del Cabarga).
INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY NEEDS SURVEY FOLLOW UP:
Last December, we conducted an Information and Technology Needs survey in a continuing effort to assess these needs in our offices. A total of 169 responses were received overall, a response rate of approximately 56%. Of the respondents, 127 or 75% completed the entire survey. The respondents were roughly split evenly between faculty and classified staff. 72% of the respondents identified themselves as being off campus, with the rest on campus. Also, 72% worked completely for Extension, with the remainder including Research and Academic work.
While the results are still being analyzed, some information has already been seen: 1) when assessing self-competency in technological tools we already use, respondents generally reported a wide range of skill levels; however, respondents were very confident in using some tools such as email and the UA NetID while on the other hand, respondents showed generally low confidence in using tools such as blogs and podcasts; 2) some specific comments indicate that not everyone is aware of services provided within our Extension staff, including computer support and poster printing; 3) workshops and demonstrations were the two highest rated methods for delivering online outreach, with strong interest in surveys, certification programs, and classes without testing; 4) technology needs "written in" by respondents varied, but over half related to some kind of online activity.
Results will be available when finished. The survey results will also be presented at this years NETC (National Extension Technology Conference) and USAIN (US Agricultural Information Network) conferences.
VIRTUAL DOMAIN NAMES FOR WEB SITES:
There has been some discussion regarding virtual domain names for websites, such as .org, on the CALS server. A virtual domain name for a site on the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences main server is a site name that does not start with either cals.arizona.edu or ag.arizona.edu. These are some issues to consider if you are considering using .org: 1) cals.arizona.edu or ag.arizona.edu clearly links your program to the University of Arizona as a research-based educational institution, 2) an .edu is a recognized and trusted source of information, 3) an .edu helps market extension and the college as a whole organization, 4) the CALS search engine will not find an .org, and 5) Extension resources will not be used for development and maintenance of an .org site. You may request a virtual domain name (i.e., .org) on the CALS server by contacting ECAT at http://cals.arizona.edu/ecat/web/virtualdomain.html. The first requirement for a virtual domain Web site is that your program must demonstrate significant funding from sources outside of the University of Arizona. If your program meets this requirement, it will then be reviewed and final decision made by Extension Administration in conjunction with ECAT. If approved there must be clear identification on the front page of the site that the site is a program in Cooperative Extension within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Arizona and is hosted by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. For more information, contact Kelly Block (520-626-9174), Linda Ffolliott (520.621.7179) or Gil Salazar (520.621.2489).
PHASING OUT UNSUPPORTED SOFTWARE:
Why is it important to phase out unsupported software? Because cyber-criminals seek out and use any vulnerability that may exist in the operating system AND in applications. Products with active support will have security patches or updates developed for any discovered vulnerability while products that have no support will remain vulnerable. For example Adobe Acrobat and Apple QuickTime have recently had serious exploits based on vulnerabilities discovered in these two applications. However, security updates have been developed and are available. Two applications that should be phased out are Eudora and Netscape since there will no longer be any updates for any vulnerability that may be discovered. It is more important to phase out Netscape since browsers are targeted more often and more intensely. The products themselves will continue to work, but they may become more of a target now that no security updates will be available for them. Plus any "bugs" that may crop up will not be corrected.
UPCOMING EVENTS & DEADLINES:
- Project BudBurst Launches 2008 Citizen Science Campaign ! Whether you work with Master Gardeners, Master Watershed Stewards,4-H or other youth/family/nutrition programs, producers, or natural resource managers, you can participate in collecting important climate change data on the timing of leafing and flowering in your area through Project BudBurst ( http://www.budburst.org). Starting this week, citizen-scientist volunteers will be able to help track trends in phenology (e.g., first leaf, first flower) on many different species and see how these relate to climate. For more information, contact Barron Orr (520.626.8063).