E-Mail System Needs Overhaul

Had the U.S. News & World Report survey examined student satisfaction with the computer system, Harvard might have slipped a few more notches. To add to the already stressful midterms period, Harvard students encountered yet another source of frustration last Thursday when e-mail accounts were inaccessible for four hours. Just a week ago, Harvard Arts and Sciences Computer Service (HASCS) discovered lost messages from about 50 students that hadn't been sent for nine days. The inefficiency of Harvard's computer network system screams for change.

E-mail has replaced the phone and mail as the communication system of choice. Although new technology often takes time to be used, like universities around the country, Harvard students and faculty have wholeheartedly embraced the Internet, and now the Internet has let them down. E-mail is a public utility for Harvard students; they use it to get information for classes, to set up social events and to run campus organizations. HASCS must take all possible steps to prevent future server failures from sending e-mail off line, as it was for four hours last Thursday, causing the delay of 6,000 messages.

The lack of e-mail cripples communication within the University. It is similar to phone lines being down in the city. Yes, students can no longer chat, but even more importantly professors cannot get out needed course information and students cannot access it. Because more and more information is being communicated by e-mail, Harvard's technology needs to keep pace with its use.

Since officials admitted this delay could happen again over the semester, we need to do whatever it takes to improve the system so that it can handle the increased load with greater efficiency. While we understand that disasters happen, good systems are far less susceptible to random failures than bad ones. New and improved systems and more technicians could drastically improve the situation. Because the computer network is used by all of Harvard faculty and students, more money, if needed, should be allocated to improve the system.