Electronic Lottery Ends With Few Glitches

Most first-years entered their housing lottery applications into the computer network without incident yesterday and Monday.

But a few students have encountered problems with the system, first-years and Science Center computer staff said yesterday.

"There haven't been any problems with the software," said Andrew F. McKinney, microcomputer software developer for FAS Computer Services. "It has been mostly user error or perhaps not knowing the Mac too well."

McKinney is one of three authors of the computer lottery program, called the Electronic Lottery Form.

This is the first year that student have been able to enter their housing choices and blocking groups into the computer network from their rooms. Last year students could enter the data only from Science Center computers.

The lottery ended last night with the passing of the 11:30 p.m. deadline for the entering of housing choices and blocking groups into the computer network. Catherine M. Millett, housing officer for the College, said the few students who did not successfully enter the information would be able to do so this morning at the Science Center.

Positive Reaction

A housing official for the College said reaction to the computerized system of data entry has been positive.

"A lot of people are just happy that students are starting to use the network," Millett said. "All the problems that have happened--and there have been very few really--have been solved."

Millett spent yesterday and Monday from 8 a.m. to noon in the Science Center answering students' questions about the housing process in general.

McKinney was available in the Science Center yesterday to help students with computer problems.

Students who solicited McKinney's help had mostly encountered problems with entering the information from computers in their dorm rooms.

"I have seen some problems where it's due to the system configurations or student machines," McKinney said. "We can't really determine what students put on their computers."

One blocking group discovered when they tried to enter their lottery information that other applications running on the computer may affect the lottery entry.

"We decided to enter [our lottery application] in our room," said Nicholas R. Szumski '97. "Just as we got to the end, where it should come up and ask you to verify your information, the computer crashed."

Szumski had no explanation for the crash but speculated that the computer might not have had the capacity to accommodate the program.

"Our guess was that we probably had too many things open on the computer, becausesomebody else the next day actually tried it onour computer and it worked fine," Szumski said.

Another blocking group could not enter into thecomputer the ID number of one of their blockmateswho is on leave this semester.

"We called University Hall and they told us tobring in all our housing information and theywould enter it into the computer, and so, I guessthey did," said Loh-Sze Y. Leung '97. "If we don'tget housing, then we'llcomplain."

In addition to assistants like McKinney,Faculty of Arts and Science personnel have beenfielding phone calls over the computer serviceshotline from students with questions about thelottery.

"Mostly it's when something will happen [suchas] an error on a screen," said a hotlinerepresentative. "It happens rarely, but when itdoes we help them."

McKinney reported that a dozen students havecome to him in the Science Center needing help;the hotline representative estimated that 15people have called with questions about thelottery.

In a message posted on the Internet yesterday,Richard E. Joltes, manager of hardware andfacilities for FAS computer services, praised thisyear's lottery entry system.

"As of the time of this posting, over 1300successful entries have been made," he wrote. "Thesoftware works as we planned, and has proved verystable overall."

While the entry of choices may have beenelectronic, housing assignments will be deliveredwith old-fashioned slips of paper. Those decisionsare scheduled to be door-dropped on Wednesday,April 6, in the rooms of the persons in eachblocking group who entered the housing choicesinto the network.

In addition to entering the names and housingpreferences into the computer, each blocking groupmust submit a hard copy of the lottery form and aroom contract card for each member of the group tothe Science Center basement by today

Another blocking group could not enter into thecomputer the ID number of one of their blockmateswho is on leave this semester.

"We called University Hall and they told us tobring in all our housing information and theywould enter it into the computer, and so, I guessthey did," said Loh-Sze Y. Leung '97. "If we don'tget housing, then we'llcomplain."

In addition to assistants like McKinney,Faculty of Arts and Science personnel have beenfielding phone calls over the computer serviceshotline from students with questions about thelottery.

"Mostly it's when something will happen [suchas] an error on a screen," said a hotlinerepresentative. "It happens rarely, but when itdoes we help them."

McKinney reported that a dozen students havecome to him in the Science Center needing help;the hotline representative estimated that 15people have called with questions about thelottery.

In a message posted on the Internet yesterday,Richard E. Joltes, manager of hardware andfacilities for FAS computer services, praised thisyear's lottery entry system.

"As of the time of this posting, over 1300successful entries have been made," he wrote. "Thesoftware works as we planned, and has proved verystable overall."

While the entry of choices may have beenelectronic, housing assignments will be deliveredwith old-fashioned slips of paper. Those decisionsare scheduled to be door-dropped on Wednesday,April 6, in the rooms of the persons in eachblocking group who entered the housing choicesinto the network.

In addition to entering the names and housingpreferences into the computer, each blocking groupmust submit a hard copy of the lottery form and aroom contract card for each member of the group tothe Science Center basement by today