Technology

Open Source Software

L will encourage the University to look into open source software in all of it's software decisions. Open source software, built on the foundations of openness, shared ideas, and community collaboration, aligns directly with the goals of an educational institution such as ours.

Encourage ITS to support more open source software, by prominently providing links to and information about OpenOffice.org, The GIMP, Mozilla Thunderbird, and other free and open software programs.
Encourage the University of Iowa to install OpenOffice.org, The GIMP, Mozilla Thunderbird, and other open source software programs on all university computer systems, and to include them in use in regular curriculum.
Mandate that the official file format of the University of Iowa Student Government is a truly open format, including OpenDocument Format, PDF format, or other open source formats accepted by the worldwide open source community[1].
Encourage the University of Iowa to adopt, as policy, a requirement for the saving of important records and documents in an open source file format, specifically and primarily in the OpenDocument Format.

More Technology Advances

Use cutting-edge technologies to create a new level of transparency, accountability and participation in our government.
Replace paper forms with electronic versions in every circumstance. We will encourage the university to follow suit, eliminating paper wherever possible and reducing associated costs.
Put the entire student organization recognition process online, so that groups wishing to begin a new student organization can complete their requests without using paper, ink, or extra time delivering forms.
Ensure that we get bug-free wireless internet access throughout campus. L will push the idea of giving users the option to choose whether or not to use a secured connection.
Lobby to make our university a central hub of internet exchange, giving our students better access to internet and making us a central player in the internet.

Protect Student Privacy

The University of Iowa has an obligation to protect the privacy of students online. We will encourage reform of ResNet to stop monitoring of student activities, and push for more limitless access across campus.

The RIAA has been assisting music labels sue University's and students to fraudulently get information about students suspected of sharing music files without permission. Although it's fine for them to want to protect their interests, will not allow them to place an undue burden on the University of Iowa and it's students by forcing it to do it's dirty work.
When record labels subpeona the University, which acts as an internet service providers to Residence Hall students, it creates an unfair burden on the University, diverting time to do forensics and interview students - and according to case law, third parties have no obligation to do so. What's worse, the entertainment industry's methods of tracking file-sharers are arcane and inaccurate, relying on spoofable IP addresses and other easily faked information. They've even accused laser printers of downloading hot movies.

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