Navigator page moved to a new server

Kevin and Chris have moved the OSD Navigator Page to a new server, which should solve the outages which seem to keep happening on Sunday afternoons. The URL has not changed, so you don't have to change any bookmarks. (Students will have to revert to the old "dog ate my homework" excuse instead of "the nav page was down.")

Homeland security says to disable Java...but we need to post grades

The US Department of Homeland Security strongly advises that Java be disabled on all computers due to a security flaw. This is one of those situations where it's really difficult to find a balance between security and usability. The district computers need to run Java, because it is required for Infinite Campus gradebooks (as well as many other programs). At the end of the semester, entering grades is obviously a really high priority. Disabling Java until a solution is found really isn't an option, unless we were to postpone the grading window.

I would suggest that Java be disabled on any computers that don't require it. I've disabled it on my home computer for the time being, and I encourage others to do the same.

Full details of the vulnerability, and instructions for disabling Java, can be found on the CERT page, which will also post updates as available.

Navigator page down...again

The Navigator page again stopped working on Sunday evening. Not sure if it was hardware failure, or the server was just dejected from the Packers' loss, but it wasn't responding to any requests. It's back now. Sorry again for what appears to be a recurring problem. We are planning to replace this server shortly, or at least move the Navigator page to a different server to solve this issue. Thanks for your patience.

Navigator page down

The OSD Navigator page is down due to a server hardware failure. We are working on getting it fixed. Some links are available at http://osdtech.blogspot.com/2012/11/navigator-page-down-this-weekend.html
Sorry for the inconvenience.

Firefox and Java updates

I've noticed a problem with the version of Java we are currently running being automatically disabled by fFrefox because of a potential security threat, so I have updated both of our versions of FF and Java this morning. These should be automatically installed the next time you log in or refresh the Zen icon.

In the past, we've had some problems with Java installing incorrectly if the browser was open during the install. If possible, please wait a few minutes after your next log in before opening Firefox, or, if you care to force the install on your own terms, please close all browsers, then right-click the Zen icon and choose "refresh". Wait 2-3 minutes and everything should be updated. 

Thanks for reading and Happy Holidays!

Firefox 17 and IC incompatibilities

Issue Alert on Firefox 17: The newest release of Mozilla's Firefox 17 has caused an issue with WYSIWYG editor screens in Infinite Campus. For example, on the Assignments screen, the SAVE buttons are not responsive.

Workaround:  Please use Firefox 16 or IE9 as alternatives until this issue can be resolved.

This issue is being tracked as SIS-61030. Our development team is actively working on this issue. No ETA has been provided at this time.

This information is also posted on Campus Community. Click here to see the posting.

New look coming to Gmail Compose window

Fans of minimalist design will really like Gmail's new Compose window. Soon, the new look will be rolled out to all our Gmail accounts. You can get a preview and learn more about it at this link. I've been trying it out for a few weeks now, and although I initially had trouble finding things, I now appreciate the simple, clean look that hides most of the things I don't use often.