smegbrains

My theory is that new teachers have all come into a bit of money recently and been bowled over in the Apple store... Thank you, greatly appreciated. Downloading it now.

Hello, Does anyone have a copy of this - we're generally a windows shop but one person has a mac and is insistent on using it. I've only got copies of the windows installers, not mac ones and they're non existent on Smart's website (and their support told me "no") Thanks, Kev

It's that time of year again then There used to be a specific utility for upgrading from V2.5 - 3.0 on the Suffolk website, but it's not there anymore. However I think you *might* be able to use the built in fsprestore.exe program to do this (been a while since I used it) If this works, the method is to do a backup with 2.5 then copy it to a machine where you have installed 3.0 and use the V3restore work link in start menu programs folder to import the backup which SHOULD convert it. If it doesn't you can always email/call Suffolk and ask them to mail you the convertor. As for V3.1(5), I've knocked up a VBS file that lets it run as a proper network program but restricting to one user at a time and sets up clients to use it automatically. Runs from shared server location as well so no need to install on clients. If anyone is interested I can PM it to them.

Installation is quite easy considering, however I tend to poke new programs to death, especially those that deal with sensitive information involving our pupils. My main struggle is with working out precisely what data gets stored where and how, and what is sent over the internet/network. The instructions make it sound like the initial administrative installation (where once configured you upload "settings" to ReportPlus) also sends the imported pupil data, and teacher information. There are many pitfalls and legal issues with any information going offsite. Could you confirm or deny that this is the case? That network guide would be very handy, yes. We are beginning to use Remote Access here so networking is essential for things like this. Sending PM after this reply, I feel that it would be a good idea to make it available for other techs as well on the website for the product, potentially with a technical FAQ. That is fair enough, I cannot speak for other schools but here we can and do use HTTPS for anything that potentially contains confidential information. Making a note of it in a Technical FAQ would mean people specifically looking for it can turn it on. I assume then that it is not really in Alpha testing? Will do when I get in tomorrow, thanks. Thankyou for the extra information and the reply.

Yes, I had this for a while with an older version of Logo. There were some very strange issues with it related to it wanting to be run with local administrator access. Quick and dirty fix is to tell teachers to put a space (or any other character) on the end of a command. This means when you press enter the bug will remove the space and let the command run properly. Cleaner fix is to see if you can get a more recent version.

I've been handed ReportPlus to install by one of my schools. Can't say I'm very impressed so far unfortunately. I'm sure it's fine from the teachers side but it's a bit of a nightmare for a tech! There's very little technical information for installation in the manual, none at all for performing a server-based install (as mentioned on website!) and no information on how well it works as a network application with multiple users accessing the same folder. One thing that is particulary concerning me is that it's not made very clear at all exactly what information is uploaded to their servers if following the default install instructions. A little rummaging and educated(ish!) guesswork leads me to think there may possibly be pupil & teacher information in this upload, which seems to be plain text over HTML, with a configuration option buried in menus for enabling HTTPS which has warnings about it being in Alpha testing. Not the most impressive thing to find in production software. Have emailed their support with a request for clarification, no reply yet though so they are probably busy.

Could do with something that actively opts the user in to accepting it to be honest. Ideally a plugin that requires least administrative effort to install and maintain as well. Surely there must be something out there! google is getting such a bashing off me at the mo

Hi, Been driving myself slighty mad looking for a solution to this problem. We're looking for an ISA plugin or similar, that when any user in our forest tries to connect to a resource (usually sharepoint) via ISA logon, it will come up with a screen displaying the AUP with a tickbox to accept it. Once ticked, it'll let them carry on as normal, while recording who accepted it and letting us perform reports on the data. Letting us have a customisable interval for how often this shows up would be handy as well. Currently all I can think of is getting ISA to redirect to a custom ASP page or something with the AUP on, which will take potentially quite a bit of time and effort to get working to a production level. A ready-made solution would be fantastic. Thanks, Kev

Yeah it's unlikely anything will go wrong but I'm not risking it! Especially as our Information Management Unit has issued us with guidelines about transmission of pupil data, unencrypted channels are very much a nono. It's a great bit of sensibility from the LEA. Email was sent to MLS, see if they reply. I'll let you know on here what the result is as I'm sure you'll appreciate it being on HTTPS. I'm right with you on the "If it ain't broke don't fix it" thing, it's rare I find educational software that just works and does exactly what it should, and JL3 was one of those rare finds. This new one is not.

I have had this purchased, signed for and then dropped on my desk with no warning, not impressed! Tried it out on our library PC, (an aging P4 with 256Mb ram that has nothing but XP and Junior Librarian 3 on it and handles that just fine.) It was... horrendous. REALLY slow, very unresponsive and just looks too confusing. Even I was searching for appropriate options on the hugely distracting screen full of animations, no idea what the kids and staff will make of it. My major concern; aside from pupil data being held on a third party server which I have no control over, is that in order to upload said pupil data, I need to do it over plain HTTP. There is nothing more than Name, Class and Year, but heads have rolled for less. This is a SEN school as well; much stricter controls on data due to extra sensitivity. Strangely, they have managed to get the actual library site running fine over HTTPS. Oh and the other option to send them data... via post on a CD... I'm sure we all remember what happened the last time someone sent unencrypted kids data via Royal Mail. Haven't contacted MLS yet, but I'm not happy so far. I really hope this isn't going to turn out to be a waste of the school's money. I'll be expecting answers to my worries!