ISU Webmail Down

[ornryactor]

To answer everyone's question:

Starting with this summer's orientations for incoming freshmen/transfers, new students are getting CyMail accounts (ISU's implementation of GMail). They are not getting WebMail accounts.

Continuing students continue to use WebMail for the time being. They are working on a migration plan for all current WebMail accounts to transfer over to CyMail, but haven't announced anything in particular. There is currently a voluntary migration tool for people to use if they want to switch now, though it has some limitations on what will be transferred. WebMail breathes its final damn breath on October 31, 2010. They're not sure yet if they'll be able to move faculty to CyMail or not, thanks to FERPA requirements. For now, faculty/staff stay on whatever they're already using (Outlook, Eudora, Thunderbird, etc).

As far as reasons for the change (aside from WebMail sucking hardcore), it is indeed budget savings. The current email servers and other equipment are close to the end of their life cycle, and now they won't need to be replaced. Paying Google is cheaper than maintaining our own equipment.

 

[Rogue52]

WebCT seems way to much like facebook for class... profs might as well just get facebook and give us assignments that way.

While WebCT does suck, the point is to restrict free access to class materials (assignments, exams, answer keys, etc.).

 

[IcSyU]

While WebCT does suck, the point is to restrict free access to class materials (assignments, exams, answer keys, etc.).

If I want it bad enough, I just ask a friend for it anyways. :wink:

 

[Rogue52]

Just migrated my account over to CyMail to see what it's like. I already use Gmail and have my Iowa State email forwarded. It's a pretty stripped down version of Gmail. No access to lab features, etc. The integrated chat feature is available which will be awesome for new incoming students. The ability to share calendars will be very beneficial as well. Too bad I'm in my last semester this fall. ;(

In any case, I'm back to having my mail forwarded to Gmail only from CyMail instead of WebMail now. The benefit for me is that I now won't have to worry about WebMail servers being down.

 

[IcSyU]

Just migrated my account over to CyMail to see what it's like. I already use Gmail and have my Iowa State email forwarded. It's a pretty stripped down version of Gmail. No access to lab features, etc. The integrated chat feature is available which will be awesome for new incoming students. The ability to share calendars will be very beneficial as well. Too bad I'm in my last semester this fall. ;(

In any case, I'm back to having my mail forwarded to Gmail only from CyMail instead of WebMail now. The benefit for me is that I now won't have to worry about WebMail servers being down.

How'd you migrate it over?

 

[MoreCowbell]

Just be happy that they aren't still using telnet. Webmail is great compared to that.

Oh, I miss telnet. Reading your email from a dos prompt. And then you could see who was all online and "chat" with them. Those were the days...

I was a student employee for AIT when they rolled out webmail. It was pretty cool back then. Granted, that was also nearly 10 years ago...