HCS Upgrade Helps Student Groups Improve Web Pages

Adding graphics, video and audio clips to student group Web sites will be more feasible than ever, thanks to new improvements made by the Harvard Computer Society (HCS).

Shortly after April 5, HCS account services, which provide groups with e-mail accounts, mailing lists and Web space, will upgrade the amount of Web storage and account access available to its members.

For example, "basic services" accounts will see an increase from 10 to 15 megabytes in account space. And 10 members of each group--rather than the previous five--can have access to the group account login.

According to HCS President Virginia J. Beauregard '01, adding more space to student group accounts had always been in the works, but a lack of money had stalled the project.

A hard disk drive crash in November forced HCS to purchase a new hard disk this year.

The replacement, which cost about $700, according to Beauregard, has more memory space--a long-needed improvement.

"It has been a while since we last upgraded the system," Beauregard said.

Shearwood "Woody" McClelland '00, who serves as the webmaster for three student groups, says the increased space is a great advantage.

"The biggest asset of the increase is that student groups will have more options in terms of making Web sites professional," he said.

McClelland, who maintains the Web sites for the Harvard-Radcliffe Kuumba Singers, the Chess Club and the Association of Black Radcliffe Women, said that he can now install sound and video files on the Kuumba Web page and a chess tutor program on the chess team site.

"It will be nice to be able to make something without constantly worrying about how much space you have," he said.

The increased space will also enable the student groups to add more pictures to their Web sites.

Virginia S. Fuller '00, who is the webmaster of the cheerleading squad's site, said the change will benefit the squad more in the future as they add more pictures.

Student groups received an e-mail message Feb. 15 telling them that the system would be upgraded.

When the student groups renewed their application for HCS services, they received details of the upgrade.

HCS provides service accounts to approved student groups, athletic teams and approved graduate student groups--over 300 organizations in all.