Web Steering Committee Minutes

February 28, 2002

 

Attending: Steve Blodgett, Steve Butts, Jim Evans, Pete Gilbert, Joe Gregg, Steve Hirby, Joey Lawrance, Michael Thorp; also making a presentation, Steve Armstrong

 

 

            Mr. Butts opened with a note from the President relating to observations from trustee Robert Buchanan about features of class web pages on Dartmouth’s web site. Questions that arose during a brief discussion included: monitored by whom? perhaps their alumni office? access from outside the institution’s network for editing? It was noted that Lawrence already offers WebBoard, and that the alumni office does web pages for reunions which could perhaps be expanded to all class years. This committee referred the President’s inquiry to the Alumni Office, mentioning WebBoard, with the suggestion that the communications committee of the alumni association might well become involved as well.

 

            The Committee welcomed Steve Armstrong who outlined some web security concerns and the need felt within Computer Services for some related decisions. When the first Banner “Web For...” components are rolled out in Term 3, they will be hosted on a “public” web server outside the firewall and will need user authentication over a secure connection. Certain types of present access (web mail, Meeting Maker, WebBoard) put passwords across the network in clear text; those should also be migrated to secure connections in future. This committee decided on a scheme involving 128-bit encryption, but permitting negotiation down to 40-bit encryption for browsers that had been downloaded in the more readily available freely exportable versions, though with a caveat that full 128-bit encryption would later be required when Social Security numbers or credit card numbers became involved. [Subsequent to the meeting, Mr. Armstrong emailed additional information and expressed a firm view from Computer Services asking this committee to reconsider, i.e., to adopt mandatory 128-bit encryption from the outset.]

 

            Mr. Butts reported that Netcasters promised the creative brief and card-sorting topics on the day of our meeting. [Later that day, we did receive email with the topics. Also, Mr. Blodgett has sent a different set of topics for us to consider at Monday’s meeting and perhaps forward to Netcasters as a substitute.]

 

            Mr. Thorp reported on preparations for the card sorting when Netcasters is on campus Thursday 7th March. Invitations are out to about a baker’s dozen of persons representing various consitituencies and points of view. Room 230 in Science Hall has been reserved at several hours on Thursday. In case of personal time conflicts, a make-up session may be offered on Friday, for which Mr. Evans noted that Room 130 would certainly be available.

 

            A future issue needs to be researched: WLFM may need to pay the recording industry for content that it webcasts.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Jim Evans, recorder pro tem