Every time I walked past the fliers advertising the new Microsoft Live email system before I left for fall break, I grimaced.
The nauseatingly cheerful models promoting this glorious new system were clearly oblivious to the problems and inconveniences this changeover would cause over break.
I hate being cut off from technology. But this isn’t about being deathly afraid of being separated from my cell phone because someone might be texting me. This is about sheer practicality.
This semester is in full swing, and suddenly I was cut off from my professors and any other important people I may have needed to contact. Midterm exams don’t mean the semester’s over. On the contrary, the arrival of midterms means that the semester has reached its boiling point.
Instead of being able to leisurely pack up my belongings and drive home for break, I was scrambling around like a maniac the Tuesday I left, trying to get out any emails I needed to send and hovering next to my computer waiting for responses. It was like I expected, at any moment, for one of those jolly guys from the fliers to pop up on my screen and say, “Sorry if you were doing something important, but it’s just going to have to wait until after break.”
We all still had assignments due pretty much right when we got back, and what were we supposed to do if we ran into an issue or needed to talk to a professor? And I use my Gannon email for more than schoolwork. It felt like I was just wiped off the map for an entire week.
Was the pressing need to upgrade our email platform so severe it couldn’t have waited until Christmas break, when we’re at least in the midst of the peaceful lull in between semesters?
I’ve been using the old email system for 2 1/2 years, and I never had a big enough problem with it that would have prompted the need to update it at such an inopportune time.
It wasn’t until I got back that I realized if I hunted through the portal vigorously enough, there was a link hidden in there to get to my old email. Somehow I feel like this link should be in bold, neon green, 58-point font at the top of the page surrounded by obnoxious flashing lights.
It wouldn’t have even been such a traumatic issue if we students had a better idea of what was going on. Why wasn’t there a forum held for students to go and get all the information and have the opportunity to ask questions? Because I know I had at least 37 of my own to ask.
But now the storm has almost passed. I’m learning how to navigate the new system and I’m finding it’s not so bad. The only hassle is going back to look at old emails that I still need, and trying to get everything in the same location. The new system is actually pretty convenient, once you get it set up. And at least we got the transition over with.
I just think there must’ve been a way to avoid the dozens of frazzled students running around Monday morning asking anyone in sight if they had figured out how to login to the new email.
If you have any comments or concerns, please see the newly updated, lengthier version of my email address below.
