Mailing Lists.
As most of you already know there are two mailing lists (one for the whole Futures Forum group and one for the Process facilitators) set up to enable us to quickly communicate with our two groups.
Almost everyone (48 people) is already a member of the Futures Forum Listbot list. To send a message to everyone in this list simply go to http://www.listbot.com and log in as a member. Then you should be able to read the archives of the previous messages and have the option of sending a message to the list.
To fix the problem Listbot was having with our two groups the Process Facilitators have their mailing list at Onelist.com. Process facilitators wanting to send a message to this list need first join the list. This can be done by clicking the appropriate button on the Process Facilitators page and filling in the registration form.
After joining, then reading a message and sending a message is the same process. Just go to http://www.onelist.com and log in as a member.
One way for us to have a conversation and maintain a cumulative record of our thoughts is to use the Discussion Forums. Discussion forums are what we call "threaded" asynchronous discussions. The contributions of people are made in their own time, separately and individually. Those contributions are preserved in order they were made for all to see.
To make a contribution to a question, you simply click on the title on the message and read the message. Then you click on "add message". A screen pops up that looks like this:
The simplest way to make your contribution is to ignore the first two boxes. And go down to the section for "non-members". Implications about becoming a member are further explained in the section "Becoming a member" below.
Fill in your E-mail address, Your name, and then give your contribution a Title. then you can choose a format by placing the black dot in the circle of the appropriate choice. the two most common and easiest to use formats are Word Processor and Smart Text. then you go to the big box and type your contribution. (You can also prepare your thoughts in a word processor and "cut and paste" into this section.). Then you click "preview" and review your message, making any changes you want. Then you click "post" and the message is added to the string of comments in the discussion forum.
It really is easy.
Here are some detailed and more technical instructions on using HyperNews if you are so interested.
The HyperNews instructions have been divided into individual forums, one for each topic. Please post messages to the most appropriate forums.
Another way we can exchange ideas is through the chat room that has been set up. This chatroom is hosted on the VCSUN server and its name is "Futures".
There are two ways to get to the chatroom. The first is to simply click "Chat" on either the Futures Forum page or the Process Facilitators page. Both Java scripts will take you to "Futures". When the Java script opens up you will see three boxes. The first is "Nickname" where you will type your real first name. The second is "username" which you leave alone -- do not remove the "Java" there. The third is for you email address if you care to type that in. Then you click "Connect" and you are in.
But, since this is a Java program, it is not as powerful or capable as the real whole IRC program. You can download and install (a again very simple process) the Internet Relay Chat program mIRC. Oxnard college, through CSUN, has a site license for this program so it is free to you for use in this class. The best way to get it is to go to the
mIRC resource center. From
there you can download the newest version of mIRC and it even has a tutorial for you to
learn how to use it. It is highly advisable that you try to download and set up
this program and use it before this class is over. It will further your familiarity
and comfort with Online education.
After you download it you have to find the file and click "Install". That will install the program on your computer. To align the mIRC to our host site, CSUN, you have to fill in some information during the "set up". You can find two guides for installing and using mIRC at VCSUN. The best guide to installing and using the mIRC program has been crafted by Dr. Shelia Harbet and you can get it by clicking here.