With a world wide web-site under construction, Duke Student Government now has an on-ramp to the information superhighway.
The goal of the web-site is to make it a complete information service for undergraduates. "[The web-site will be] the first place to go if anyone has any questions about anything concerning undergraduate life at Duke," said Arnold Baker, DSG head of computing and communications. Baker compared it to the information desk at Disney World.
Work on the web-site began in mid-May and is currently up and running. The web-site is currently readable through Netscape and other browsers such as Mosaic and Lynx.
In the web-site's final form, Baker plans to have numerous options for the user. These include a homepage for every DSG-recognized student organization, a calender of events at the University, online forms for things like event registration and a "Hot Topics" page, which provides a forum for student concerns.
What Baker calls the "centerpiece" of DSG's web-site, however, is the unmoderated "duke.general" newsgroup designed specifically for students and administrators to discuss campus-wide issues. On newsgroups, anyone is able to post messages for others to read and reply to. Baker said the newsgroup, although accessible outside of the DSG web-site, is essential because it provides a "river of up-to-date information perpetually refresh[ing] the web page."
Baker originally planned to have a moderated newsgroup in which all posts would be screened before being seen by the public. That idea, however, was discarded due to the negative response Baker received. "There are some people who are very much against censorship," he said. Therefore, the newsgroup on the web-site will remain unmoderated. If "flame wars" erupt, which occur when participants post vitriolic messages back and forth, DSG will start a moderated newsgroup, Baker said.
"Some administrators are a little bit hesitant right now because they've not had the best experience with e-mail from students," he said. Baker said he was confident, however, that administrators would participate if newsgroups were free from flame wars.
"I would participate with the understanding that civility, trust and respect are among the primary values of any and all contributions to the newsgroup," said Frank McNutt, assistant dean of student development.
Trinity senior Peggy Cross, president of DSG, said this would in turn improve the channels of communication. "Once people see that the President and other senior administrators are reading and responding to student concerns I think they'll really be willing to participate."
The web-site will have a description of all DSG services, Cross said. Such services include check cashing, emergency loan fund, the DSG lawyer and others that students may not be aware of.
She added that during the elections in the fall, there will be biographies for each candidate on the web-site.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.