Ed's Tech Tips

Welcome to my blog. I am the Technology Support Specialist for the Alumnae Association. My title is a little misleading, because it suggests that I am a "specialist", but I am actually a jack of all trades related to "technology" which has become a rather broad category. I administer the local area network at the Alumnae Association office in Mary Wooley Hall, as well as, maintain the web server; update, repair and replace computers and printers; train staff on the use of software and hardware, photograph events, and do pretty much anything else there is to do related technology.

This purpose of this blog is to offer my experience, knowledge and opinions in the form of suggesstions, reviews, how-tos, answers to frequently asked questions and discoveries regarding software, the Alumnae Association web site and technology in general. You the reader can comment on my articles and ask additional questions.

As for my background I have been using computers for a while. My first computer was the Texas Instruments TI-99/4a in the early 80's. Although I do have a Bachelors degree in Philosophy/Religion and Social Science with a concentration in Psyschology from Flagler College in St. Augustine, I have worked as a Technical Support Specialist and Knowledge Base Developer for Sony Electronics and Yankee Candle Company before arriving at Mount Holyoke College a year ago.

The Alumnae Association recieved a very nice thank you email from a parent of a graduating senior that participated in the Strawberries & Champagne event on May 9th:

I wanted to let you know how much I, as a far-away parent of a graduating senior, enjoyed the slide show of the Strawberries and Champagne event that is posted on the web.

Please congratulate the photographer and all else involved in putting it together. What a great way to use technology to allow all kinds of people, wherever they may be and whatever their connection to the graduates, to share in the joyous occasion!

Thanks again, and good job!
Joan Giglierano
Mother of Emily Giglierano '06

This is just the type of response we had hoped to solicit from alumnae, students and parents. I was the photographer for the event, but I must admit that I lucked out with very good lighting for the outdoor event in spite of the light drizzle of rain. I also had a very nice digital camera to work with, the Sony DSC-H1. Read more about at Dpreview.com. It is an excellent all around camera that I highly recommend.

The camera is a 5 megapixel model with a 12X optical zoom which allows me to zoom in for close-ups. I was trying to capture the emotions on the students' faces as they celebrated the completion of their careers at Mount Holyoke College. I purchased a 1 GB Memory Stick for the camera and some extra rechargeable batteries. I took over 150 photos, out which I selected the 50 that are in the gallery. A secret of good photography is taking a lot of photos and only selecting a few of the best ones.

Hopefully, I'll have the same level of success with the virtual Global Reunion, which will not only feature numerous photos, but video and message boards as well.