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Horror Stories about Computers, Internet, & Viruses

Although there definitely are some cool RTAs who selflessly volunteer their time, IITS (Longwood's IT organization) as a whole is broke.

This page is only for horror stories about computers, internet & viruses at Longwood University. If you have a story, feel free to share by clicking here. To return to the list of all horror stories, click here.

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Longwood's policy on Viruses - pursue disciplinary action

This is a perfect example of how the Longwood Administration functions. To keep viruses off of student's computers, they have created regulations and sanction students for violating them.

So If your PC gets infected with a virus from the network LONGWOOD RUNS, they punish accordingly:

• First Virus - they take you offline and clean your PC. Cool - works for me.
• Second Virus - they take your PC and erase everything on it, just to get the virus off. Worse, you're charged $35 per hour for them to do this. As further punishment, you're blocked from the internet for a week after this.
• Third Virus - Same as second virus but you're also referred to the judicial board for disciplinary action.

Source: (Longwood Website). --Sarah Urban 04:20, 6 August 2006 (EDT)

Moved comments to the talk page. --Sam Odio 13:44, 20 February 2008 (EST)

Don't go if you like Computers / Technology

DEFINITELY don't go to Longwood if you're into computers & tech. These are the problems I had at Longwood with how they handled computers & technology:

• You can ONLY connect one device to the Longwood network (computer / laptop / xbox / etc) at a time.

edit: This is no longer true, as of Fall 2009 you can have as many as you want including phones and gaming consoles.

• Dorm rooms don't have wireless
• They won't even let you set up a wireless network of your own (it can't be that bad - they allow it at UVA, where I go now) - so you HAVE to plug into the wall to use the internet.
• The Longwood internet was extremely unreliable - going down frequently (sometimes unusable for days)
• Many RTAs (Resident Technology Assistants) that I met really didn't know that much, and often couldn't help you if you got a virus. When I was at Tabb, no one trusted the RTAs (they'd come to me INSTEAD of calling them!)
  • I mean, this is absurd because these are students Longwood hires to maintain network. Sometimes, they'd even BREAK your machine!

Compare that to UVA: I can use as many computers as I want (last count I had 5 - including two servers). UVA ENCOURAGES you to use their computing resources, and even HELPED me set up servers on their network. I've NEVER had a problem with the UVA internet - it's always been online (unlike Longwood's). UVA will also let you set up wireless networks, as long as you administer them responsibly.

UVA treats you like an adult - and gives you as much freedom as possible. At Longwood I felt like they didn't trust us with freedom, hence the pointless rules / regulations. --Sam Odio 15:52, 2 August 2006 (EDT)

Moved comments to the talk page. --Sam Odio 13:44, 20 February 2008 (EST)

An "undercover" picture of my dorm room & XM antenna, taken by someone at Longwood University, who then relayed it to the IITS, Student Affairs, and Housing departments.

Do you like XM radio? Be careful, Longwood freaks out!

So while at longwood I set up my XM radio antenna outside. This was pretty easy to do because my decrepit window screen fell out and after two weeks still wasn't replaced.

Later I learned that a Longwood RTA was taking secret pictures of my dorm room. They were documenting my violations of the Longwood Student Handbook - having an antenna outside my room. Can you believe it?! They weren't saying anything to me, just taking pictures.

As soon as someone told me that this antenna was a violation (several months later), I took it down. Apparently having a XM radio antenna was such a serious infraction, the picture was passed around the IITS, Student Affairs and Housing departments. It's as if they're dealing with undercover secret intelligence or something.

I had no idea XM Radio antennas weren't allowed! It's a radio for God's sake - completely harmless. And of course, Longwood NEVER ended up replacing the decrepit window screen. --Sam Odio 22:40, 2 August 2006 (EDT)

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