[change of plans]by David Archer If Plans ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But when it becomes unwieldy to manage and improve, then grab the latest programming tools and go to work. Accordingly, three determined students have assumed the task of rewriting the Plans software with the latest version of the php programming language (php 5) in order to update the current software, which they describe as an unmaintainable “house of cards.” Plans is a web-based community of individual web-logs by members of Grinnell College, including students, alumni, faculty, staff and other directly related people or groups. “Our job is to create a technical foundation so Plans can go anywhere users want to take it,” said Avram Lyon ‘06, one of the three project leader along with Josh Rosenbluh ‘05 and Daren Brantley ‘05. Lyon said the rewrite will provide better security and greater flexibility, making the software easier to maintain and modify. They began the project, titled [Yellow Tail] during fall break, and they intend to complete the rewrite in January 2005. “Current Plans code was developed over years,” Brantley said. The new version, which will succeed the current Plans v.2, will be a “complete rewrite.” Most changes will not be visible to Plans users, as the bulk of their work focuses on the technical foundation behind the interface. However, the rewrite will allow the software to accommodate many new features, several of which will likely get implemented some time during spring semester 2005. The programmers said the system might accommodate “smart” autofinger lists in which users could create lists based on criteria other than user name. For example, a user could create a list of users who have given them planlove. Users could also name their lists or create as many lists as they like. The current system now allows users three levels. Users can also expect to see a spellcheck feature, as well as joint ownership of accounts for groups with several leaders. In addition, [Yellow Tail] may add an address book feature, especially for alumni who wish to keep in touch. Other possibilities discussed include extending the length of plans, giving users the option to archive changes, and giving users an option to link to previous entries of their own plans. The programers also said the new software will allow for customizable style sheets that would give users more control over their plan’s appearance and layout. They also want to make the software more compatible as an open-source project. “Because it’s open source means we shouldn’t code it in a way that limits other systems,” Lyon said. The group said they are only responsible for technical changes and making new features possible, while the system administrators will decide which features to implement. The group is still open to creating other features. The group titled the project [Yellow Tail] after an Australian wine whose advertisements they saw plastered around Chicago during fall break. The brackets around its title replicate the brackets used to give fellow plan users plan-love.
Plans v2 Glossary-definitions by David Archer
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[thefacebook]the new face of grinnell's online community? New online directory provides new online obsession, networking for students by David Montgomery On Saturday, Nov 13, some Grinnell students received word that a popular website, TheFacebook.com, had been expanded to Grinnell. By midafternoon on Monday, there were already 439 members of this website, a service where college students post profiles and form links to other students. TheFacebook.com has more than 800,000 members at 256 colleges, according to Chris Hughes, who identified himself as co-founder and “press guy” of Facebook. By any measure, it has already proven wildly popular at Grinnell. Some even worry that Facebook, as the website is commonly referred to, can be dangerous because students can become obsessed with it. Students were more than willing to talk about how much time they spent using Facebook. Topher Elderkin ‘08 characterized his new habit of checking Facebook as “compulsive.” Other students used terms such as “addictive” and “obsessed.” According to Hughes, it’s no fault of the website if some students spend too much time using it. “If people like the website, then they like it,” he said. “Some people really like movies, but that doesn’t mean movies shouldn’t be made.” Facebook, in and of itself, does not offer much that Grinnell students did not already have access to. A searchable campus directory has long been available on PioneerWeb, while the student-run Plans service offered customizable profiles and the ability to form social networks online. All it takes to join Facebook is an email address from one of the colleges that the site’s organizers have approved. With an account, students post basic information such as their name, dorm room, and home high school. Those so inclined can also post “extended info,” such as tastes in music, movies and books or the student’s relationship status. All entries can be clicked to bring up a listing of all other Grinnell students who also share that interest. Students can upload pictures of themselves, and also list what classes they are taking. Once a profile has been created, it is fully searchable by other students. A user can request to be considered a “friend” of another. If the request is approved, then each student gets a link to their friend’s profile posted on their own. The system also displays information such as what students are mutual friends of two users. Facebook can even generate a web page that visually displays a student’s “social network” as an organizational chart. One of the most interesting features of Facebook is the lists of “friends” that get compiled. Michael Billups ‘07, whose profile listed 65 Grinnell students as “friends” on Thursday afternoon, said that many of those were people he didn’t actually know. “I probably know about 40 of them personally,” he said. “It seems that every time I check my mail there’s another request from someone to be confirmed as a friend.” Rejecting a friend request is an option, but to Billups, it seemed “kind of rude.” Other students interviewed, however, had not experienced strangers requesting to be “friends.” Grinnell is actually something of a latecomer to Facebook. According to the Facebook website, it was created in Febuary of this year by Harvard undergrad Mark Zuckerberg. After it proved popular at Harvard, he expanded it to other Ivy League colleges and then beyond. Many Grinnell students said that they had found out about the program from friends at other colleges who had already become avid users of Facebook. Those friends at other colleges are also viewable on a student’s profile, under a special section. Students on Facebook can also create and join “groups” that bring together people with similar interests. Some popular groups include one for graduates of public high schools, organizations for residents of particular campuses or dorms, and a group for fans of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books. Some students post many details about themselves on their site. However, Facebook also has privacy preferences where a user can chose to restrict who can see their information, banning specific people or only allowing “friends” access. Students can create a Facebook account at http://www.thefacebook.com. Facts and figures—David Montgomery
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