Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: Opinion

Paul Rios

In another universe, we are still using CasperWeb and it's as though we never developed the proverbial opposable thumb. The symphonic thump you hear is the sound of the student body bashing heads on keyboards, hoping against reason that a registration page might actually load.

Those muffled sobs are the sound of working students unable to reach a computer in time to add that last minute class. And that faint burning smell?

That's the stench of smoldering electronics wafting from the burnt-out server as it meets obsolescence.

CasperWeb, we hardly knew you.

Actually, scratch that. As veteran Sacramento State students will know, CasperWeb placed "your Sac State records at your fingertips" -- a claim that was accurate insofar as one had the patience to deal with its occasional quirks. It was beige, lo-fi and, ultimately, familiar. Now it's gone. Here in this universe, we have My Sac State.

The change from CasperWeb to My Sac State is part of a massive overhaul to the administrative services of the California State University school system. A process involving intensive planning, as well as modifications to both hardware and software across the 23-campus system, the new application seeks to provide "effective, high quality service to students, faculty, and staff."

To be objective, My Sac State isn't so revolutionary a thing, but the advantages are both obvious and not so apparent. The PeopleSoft application provides a sharp look and offers features that one-up CasperWeb in every way. 24-hour service, wait lists, encryption technology; it's faster, easier and more secure -- three adjectives that are in high demand in our fast-paced wireless lifestyles.

It's certainly more convenient. The drastic difference in availability is a welcome change from CasperWeb's constricting operating schedule. Insomniacs and chipper morning people must love the idea of all-hours scheduling. And just like CasperWeb, your financial headaches can be addressed quickly and as painlessly as possible, all in a single spot. The thing will even warn you when you are about to time out, a great feature for those of us attention deficient types prone to abusing the concept of tabbed browsing.

But beyond improving the existing system, My Sac State offers the possibility of better communication between student and teacher, assuming both parties willingly accept the initial obstacle of unfamiliarity. The revamped security ensures that sensitive data, such as social security numbers formerly used as identifiers, is no longer so vulnerable. Now you don't have to worry about hackers from Timbuctoo named Leroy Bigglesworth stealing your identity and enrolling you in unwanted classes.

Short of sounding like a mouth piece for PeopleSoft, it's not all perfect. After all, beneath all these bells and whistles, My Sac State suggests a learning curve that users of the comparatively stripped down CasperWeb never faced. Simple tasks like sorting through the assortment of classes become tasks that require precise, illustrated tutorials. Adding a class requires memorizing another set of digits. And those primitives (this writer included) still using dial-up modems face a slow slog through the labyrinth of course pages.

Still, one might as well embrace the change, in spite of imperfections. You really don't have a choice. In a mere matter of semesters, we'll be all too familiar with My Sac State's quirks and short-comings. So much so that we'll be begging for that next step in the evolution of convenience, maybe a personal automaton that selects your schedule for you based on personal pre-programmed disposition algorithms. Hey, it could happen. Maybe even in this universe.



Paul Rios can be reached at prios@statehornet.com.

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