GEO
101 World Human Geography
Spring 2008
GEO
101 FAQ
Matters!
Here are some frequently asked questions and their answers about this class, the web site, and well the world at large I suppose. I'll add to this as you ask questions. If you have a question to ask, send me an e-mail. Topics so far: Majoring in Geography | Accessing Readings | Accessing Lecture Outlines | Absences | Finding Essay Assignments
Q. I want to major in geography or I'm currious about a carrer in geography what do I do?
A. I've created a separate page answering questions on majoring in geography.
Q. I am trying to access one of the readings from the library databases from home, but when I enter the web site address it asks for an Id and password. I've tried my own but it will not let me through.
A. In order to access the readings from home, you need to configure your web browser to use the VU proxy server. Instructions for setting up your browser are available from IT. The databases are restricted to campus users only and all computers on campus should be able to access the databases without any problem. Using the The proxy server makes it look to the databases like your computer is on campus.
Q. I'm trying to access a PDF file from the library database using Internet Explorer but all I get is a blank screen. What's going on?
A. This is a flaw with older versions of Internet Explorer. Instructions for a workaround can be found here.
Q. I am trying to access one of the readings from a site on the World Wide Web but I can't get to the web site.
A. The first thing you should do is contact me so that I can look into the problem because you are likely not the only one with the problem. There may be a number of things causing this problem. The reading may have either been moved or deleted from the web site by the owners of the site. Though I think I've checked all of the links, there might be a typo in the link (one common one is to leave of the l in html). After contacting me, try to see if you can find the reading on your own by going to the sites homepage. Look for a search utility or archives. I've given you a citation for the reading, so you should have enough information to find it. If you do find it, e-mail me a corrected link and I'll fix it on the web site. If the reading has been totally deleted, then I will have to find another reading to assign or an alternate source. I do my best to make sure that our readings are still available before we get to them. However, I have had occasions where a web site has undergone a re-design and has deleted a reading during the same week we've gotten to them.
It may be that the web site the reading is on is temporarily unavailable or that Internet traffic is clogged up and you can't get a good connection to the site. If your browser times out when trying to get to the site, try again at a later time. Do contact me though. Finally, there may be something wrong with the computer you are working on--espeically if you are on campus. Try using a different computer--it sometimes works.
Q. Where are the Lecture outlines? I just looked for the most recent lecture outline on the web but it wasn't there. / The lecture outline I found online just before class is an old one, different from the one that you used in class, and different from the one that's up there now. What happened?
A. Lecture outlines are available at http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/geo/courses/geo101/lectureindex.html I am significantly revising some of my lectures for this class this semester to reflect the new realities we have to deal with these days. As a result I may modify some of the lecture outlines significantly. If I know that I am going to change a lecture significantly, I'll remove the link to it from the web site until I get the new one up. VU uses a staging server for its web site so that web designers on campus can test their pages before revealing them for the whole world to see. Unfortunately that means that it may take up to an hour after I post a lecture outline before it shows up on the web. You can always get the most recently posted stuff by accessing the website on the staging server. The address for the web site on the staging server is http://wwwstage.valpo.edu/geomet/geo/courses/geo101/ (note that the difference is the wwwstage part.)
Q. I am going to be absent/I was absent/I have to travel for a tennis tournament and will miss class. What should I do?
A. See the syllabus for the official policy and instructions for what to do. Also remember to get notes from a class mate and come see me to ask about what you have missed. If you know you are going to be absent ahead of time please let me know ahead of time.
Q. Help! My essay is due in a couple of days and I can not find the assignment on the web site! Where is it?
A. Essay assignments are included on the discussion page for the weeks
during which an essay is assigned. You'll can find the assignments via
the following links.
Essay 1 Assignment
Essay 2 Assignment
Vocation Refleciton Paper
Assignment
Due Dates
Q: Help! When is [Insert Assignment here] Due?
A: Check the Schedule with a handy list of due dates at the bottom. Each discussion manual page also lists what is due that day as well as what will be due during the next discussion class.