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This is an edited version of a "Campus Computing"
article in the January, 2002 issue of Benchmarks Online. - Ed.
By Dr. Philip
Baczewski, Associate Director of Academic Computing and
Cliff Cozzolino, Student E-mail
System Analyst
spam is the word most people
use to describe those unsolicited mass E-mail
messages that show up in your mailbox. It is almost impossible these
days to prevent all spam from being received, however, there are some
steps you can take to guard your address from getting on spam mailing
lists.
Most students don't realize that by law, the University is required
to release your "directory information" to any external organization or
individual who requests it. That information includes your E-mail
address. Students can request that their directory information be
withheld by completing a form (http://www.unt.edu/ferpa/PDF_files/withhold.pdf)
and returning it to the registrar's office. According to the Registrar's
office FERPA information page (http://essc.unt.edu/registrar/general/studentferpa.htm):
- Directory information regarding the student will be provided to
the public upon request unless student files a request in the
Registrar’s Office asking to be excluded from the directory or from
any other requests for open directory information from outside
entities. The request should be submitted prior to the 12th class day
in the fall and spring terms, the 2nd class day of the May mini-mester,
or the 4th class day in the summer terms. A request to withhold
information may be submitted after the stated deadline for a term, but
information may be released between the deadline and receipt of the
request. The file of a student who has asked to be excluded from the
directory information will remain flagged until the student requests
that the flag be removed.
-
- Directory information consists of a student’s full name, address,
E-mail address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field
of study, classification, participation in officially recognized
activities and sports, weight and height of athletic team members,
dates of attendance, degrees, awards received, the last educational
agency or institution attended previous to UNT, and photograph.
Students who are concerned about spam should request that their
directory information be withheld. Other guidelines to follow are:
- don't subscribe to open mailing lists or post your address in chat
groups;
- don't use your address to post to network news groups;
- don't include your address on a public Web page.
People who collect E-mail addresses to send spam look in all of the
above places to find addresses. It's impossible to totally prevent spam,
however, by following the guidelines above, your exposure to spam can be
minimized.
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