Author Archives: ihelp

Watermark (Activity Insight) Data on Websites

Posted on by • Posted in Watermark, Website •

Below are the rules that govern which Watermark (formerly known as Activity Insight) data records will show up on the iSchool directory, and research websites.

Affiliate Positions:

Pulls From:

  • Positions Held screen

Rules:

  • “Is this a faculty affiliate title?” is set to “Yes”
  • Start Date is < today
  • End Date is > today

Available on sites:

  • iSchool Directory

APA Reference List:

Rules:

  • If posting in sites.uw.edu, include the following tags (in order) into your post when under the “Text” view (upper Right)
    • <!– This is a div tag. You can put a loading graphic here, or any text you’d like, but it will be replaced by your reference list –>
      <div id=”publications”></div>
    • <link rel=”stylesheet” href=”https://ischool.uw.edu/themes/custom/uwischool/css/lts-publications-and-research-v1.css”>
    • <script type=”text/javascript”>
      // Edit the contents of this tag to match your credentials!
      // This is pulled by netid
      var authorsCall = ‘bboiko’;
      // For multiple authors
      // var authorsCall = ‘bboiko,epope’;
      </script>
    • <script type=”text/javascript” src=”https://ischool.uw.edu/themes/custom/uwischool/js/lts-publications-and-research-v1.js”></script>
  • Then include your “call” tag:
    • <script>
      getPublications();
      </script>

Available on sites:

  • All

Awards:

Rules:

  • Specific website is selected
  • Web Start Date is < today
  • Web End Date is > today

Available on sites:

  • iSchool Directory
  • Knowledge Org

Biography & PCI:

Pulls From:

  • Personal and Contact Information section

Rules:

  • Varies per site
  • iSchool Directory bio pulls from Personal Biography field
  • KO Directory bio pulls from Brief Biography for Research Sites field

Available on sites:

  • iSchool Directory
  • Knowledge Org

Consulting:

Rules:

  • Specific website is selected

Available on sites:

  • iSchool Directory

Education:

Rules:

  • Either:
    • Public flag is set to “Public”
    • Public flag is set to “Public No Date” (in this case no date will be shown)

Available on site:

  • iSchool Directory

Intellectual Contributions:

Rules:

  • Specific website is selected
  • AND Either:
    • Status = “Published”
    • Status = “Accepted”

Available on site:

  • iSchool Directory
  • Knowledge Org
  • DataLab

Memberships:

Rules:

  • Public flag is set to “Public”

Available on site:

  • iSchool Directory

Presentations:

Rules:

  • Specific website is selected
  • Web Start Date is < today
  • Web End Date is > today

Research Areas:

Pulls from:

  • Personal and Contact Information screen

Rules:

  • Research Area 1 and/or Research Area 2 contain data

Available on site:

  • iSchool Directory

Research Areas AI Pull:

Pulls from:

  • iSchool’s LTS api and Watermark’s (Activity Insight)

Rules:

  • If posting in sites.uw.edu, include the following tags (in order) into your post when under the “Text” view (upper Right)
    • <!– This is a div tag. You can put a loading graphic here, or any text you’d like, but it will be replaced by your research areas –>
      <div id=”research”></div>
    • <link rel=”stylesheet” href=”https://ischool.uw.edu/themes/custom/uwischool/css/lts-publications-and-research-v1.css”>
    • <script type=”text/javascript”>
      // Edit the contents of this tag to match your credentials!
      // This is pulled by netid
      var authorsCall = ‘bboiko’;
      // For multiple authors
      // var authorsCall = ‘bboiko,epope’;// These are your authorsNames. Sometimes, research areas where you were not the Principal Researcher will pop up, so we want to be able to filter that. The trick is to include the last name, or first name and last name of the person
      // We are confident there is only one Boiko, go ahead and use just the last name
      var authorsNames = [‘Boiko’];
      // For multiple authors
      var authorsNames = [‘Robert,Boiko’, ‘Elle,Pope’];
      </script>
    • <script type=”text/javascript” src=”https://ischool.uw.edu/themes/custom/uwischool/js/lts-publications-and-research-v1.js”></script>
  • Then include your “call” tag:
    • <script>
      getResearch(‘Areas’);// We cal also format our list to include headers with the Research Year. To do that, format like so
      // getResearch(‘Areas’, true);
      </script>

Available on site:

  • All

Research Projects:

Rules:

  • Specific website is selected
  • AND either:
    • Funding pursued is set to “Yes” and funding status is set to “Funded”
    • Funding pursued is set to “No”

Available on site:

  • iSchool Research Grants
  • Knowledge Org

Research Projects AI Pull:

Pulls from:

  • iSchool’s LTS api and Watermark’s (Activity Insight)

Rules:

  • If posting in sites.uw.edu, include the following tags (in order) into your post when under the “Text” view (upper Right)
    • <!– This is a div tag. You can put a loading graphic here, or any text you’d like, but it will be replaced by your research areas –>
      <div id=”research”></div>
    • <link rel=”stylesheet” href=”https://ischool.uw.edu/themes/custom/uwischool/css/lts-publications-and-research-v1.css”>
    • <script type=”text/javascript”>
      // Edit the contents of this tag to match your credentials!
      // This is pulled by netid
      var authorsCall = ‘bboiko’;
      // For multiple authors
      // var authorsCall = ‘bboiko,epope’;// These are your authorsNames. Sometimes, research areas where you were not the Principal Researcher will pop up, so we want to be able to filter that. The trick is to include the last name, or first name and last name of the person
      // We are confident there is only one Boiko, go ahead and use just the last name
      var authorsNames = [‘Boiko’];
      // For multiple authors
      var authorsNames = [‘Robert,Boiko’, ‘Elle,Pope’];
      </script>
    • <script type=”text/javascript” src=”https://ischool.uw.edu/themes/custom/uwischool/js/lts-publications-and-research-v1.js”></script>
  • Then include your “call” tag:
    • <script>
      getResearch(‘Projects’);// We cal also format our list to include headers with the Research Year. To do that, format like so
      // getResearch(‘Projects’, true);
      </script>

Available on site:

  • All

Specialization:

Rules:

  • If set in PCI section then these (up to three) will show up

Available on site:

  • iSchool Directory

What is Watermark (Activity Insight)?

Posted on by • Posted in Watermark •

Watermark (formerly known as Activity Insight) is an online database from vendor Watermark Insights. At the Information School, we use Watermark for a variety of purposes:

  • Data entered in Watermark populates our iSchool directory pages for faculty, staff, and Ph.D. students.
  • Annual Faculty Activity Reports are generated from data entered by faculty and others into Watermark.
  • Faculty can generate a basic CV and easily modify the format for various purposes.
  • Faculty accomplishments can be aggregated for a variety of reports to support strategic planning, communications, accreditation, and other administrative purposes.

iSchool faculty and PhD students access their Watermark records from the iSchool website. The Watermark link is one of the items on the Tools list which opens from the upper right corner of the website. Enter your UW NetID and password to access the Main Menu of your Watermark records. iSchool staff and graduate assistants who work on Watermark records access the database in the same way.

Those faculty who are subject to merit review and must generate an annual Faculty Activity Report should update records in the following sections of the Watermark Main Menu:

  • Scholarship/Research
  • Service
  • Teaching
  • Miscellaneous

Use of Watermark at the iSchool began in late 2010 when the School was asked by Administration to produce information that included aggregated faculty accomplishments. Needing something more efficient than individual CVs, the Watermark online database was explored and purchased. Graduate assistants entered information from faculty CVs into spreadsheets that were uploaded into Watermark. Extensive data cleaning and database customization followed. The faculty merit review in March 2012 was the first to use data exported from Watermark as Faculty Activity Reports.

How do I change my iSchool faculty or PhD student directory profile?

Posted on by • Posted in Watermark, Website • Tagged , , , •

Most information on your iSchool directory page comes from data entered in your Watermark (formerly known as Activity Insight) records and can only be edited in Watermark. An exception is your photo: PhD students can follow these instructions; faculty or staff must contact iSchool Human Resources.

Faculty and PhD students access their Watermark records from the iSchool website. The Watermark link is one of the items on the Tools list which opens from the upper right corner of the website.

On the Personal and Contact Information screen linked in the Administrative Data section, the following fields sync with the directory:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Office location
  • Telephone number
  • Personal Website URL
  • Curriculum Vita URL
  • Profile Biography
  • Specialization(s) – up to three

On the Education screen linked in the General Information section, the following fields sync with the directory:

  • Show in iSchool Directory? (options are “Public,” “Public No Date,” and “Private”)
  • Degree (if set to “Other,” contents of “Explanation of ‘Other'” field will be displayed)
  • Emphasis/Major
  • Year Completed (year will not show in the directory if “Public No Date” is selected above)

On the Consulting and Other Projects screen in the Miscellaneous section, the following fields sync with the directory:

  • Consulting Type (if set to “Other,” contents of “Explanation of ‘Other'” field will be displayed)
  • Client/Organization
  • Start Date year
  • End Date year
  • “Directory” is checked in Website Selector (default is checked)

On the Awards and Honors screen linked in the Miscellaneous section, the following fields sync with the directory:

  • Award or Honor Name
  • Organization/Sponsor
  • Date Received
  • “Directory” is checked in Website Selector (default is checked)

On the Professional Memberships screen linked in the General Information section, the following fields sync with the directory:

  • Show in iSchool Directory (Set to “Public” will show; set to “Private” will not show)
  • Name of Organization

On the Intellectual Contributions screen linked in the Scholarship/Research section, the following fields sync with the directory:

  • Contribution Type (appears as an icon in the directory; hover over to see type label)
  • Title of Contribution
  • Year published
  • Name of Journal/Magazine OR Title of Larger Work
  • Volume
  • Issue Number/Edition
  • Page Numbers or Number of Pages
  • Web Address (Title of Contribution becomes a link to URL entered here)
  • Authors (names of co-authors in the iSchool directory link to their directory pages; only one author should enter in Watermark to avoid duplicate records)
  • “Directory” is checked in Website Selector (default is checked)

On the Presentations screen linked in the Scholarship/Research section, the following fields sync with the directory:

  • Presentation Title
  • End Date year
  • Meeting/Conference/Organization Name
  • “Directory” is checked in Website Selector (default is checked)
  • Today is between Website Start Date and Website End Date

Items that are not editable by you that appear on your iSchool directory pages are:

  • Your title – managed by the iSchool Human Resources
  • Current Quarter Teaching – managed by the iSchool Web Developer Administrator

Web Hosting options

Posted on by • Posted in Hosting, Website •

At the UW there are a lot of web hosting options. The Information School recommends a subset of these options; here is a list with their pros and cons and requirements.

Hosting Options

1) sites.uw.edu

This is the preferred first choice. Any time someone can fit into this environment it’s the best option. Maintenance and support is handled by UW-IT. It’s very secure, reliable, and used by many people on campus. It offers SSL out of the box, and for a $50/year you can point any domain to it (*.ischool.uw.edu).

More info here: https://itconnect.uw.edu/connect/web-publishing/shared-hosting/url-forwarding-and-masking/sites.uw.edu has a low barrier of entry and requires very minimal technical skills. It’s essentially a blogging platform that has the flexibility to create a site with multiple pages, graphics, menus, etc. You just need to know/learn how to use WordPress, not be knowledgeable about the installation and maintenance of it.

2) A2 Hosting

When sites.uw.edu isn’t a viable option due to the limitations imposed by the platform then folks can get a dedicated hosting account. A2 Hosting is a hosting reseller that uses cPanel and gives you the flexibility to install a wide array of web stuff. Hardware and infrastructure is supported by A2, but any software you install (including your CMS of choice) needs to be configured, updated, and maintained by you. This requires a higher level of technical skill than sites.uw.edu.

3) Linux VM

This is the most technically complex but most flexible option. You get a dedicated VM and can do almost anything with this option if you have the necessary technical skills, but maintenance, installation, updates, configuration, etc are all on you. We provide the VM with a very base-level of software installed, grant you sudo access, and let you configure your VM as you need it. We don’t have the resources to work with individuals to customize the server for them.

X) Find a service they like and use it

Outside of these iSchool/UW provided/supported solutions you can use things like GitHub pages, Wix, Squarespace, etc. All of these offer different features and you’re welcome to use whatever you want. iSchool IT cannot provide any support in these environments as we don’t have the expertise or resources available to do so.Add-ons*.ischool.uw.edu domains:Anyone who wants a *.ischool.uw.edu domain can request them from us. We can provision that for free and add any DNS records you want. We’ll help you understand this process, but for complex configurations with various third parties we might not be experts and that process might be clumsy/slow.*.uw.edu domains:If you want a *.uw.edu domain you need to consult this page and fill out the proper request forms:

https://itconnect.uw.edu/connect/uw-networks/network-addresses/requesting-a-new-subdomain/For all *.uw.edu domains supported by the iSchool they must delegate “uw_ischool_employees_it_admins_network” as an admin contact group in the networks.uw.edu interface once your request is complete. If you do not do this, we cannot support you.non-uw domains:If you want a non-UW domain for UW business purposes we only support acquiring these through UW-IT. You need to provide a budget # and follow the instructions here:

https://itconnect.uw.edu/connect/uw-networks/network-addresses/requesting-a-new-subdomain/If you need/want iSchool IT to support your domain, you must delegate “uw_ischool_employees_it_admins_network” as an admin contact group in the networks.uw.edu interface once your request is complete.ConsultationThe web and infrastructure team is happy to consult with any iSchool faculty, researchers, or staff who have a web need. We don’t have the resources to provide hands-on assistance, but consultation time is usually available and we’re happy to help explain things and help you pick the best option to suit their needs.

Adobe Flash

Adobe Flash

Posted on by • Posted in Software • Tagged , •

Adobe Flash Player will reach its end of life after December 31, 2020. Adobe’s documentation about this change can be found on this web page:

https://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/end-of-life.html

There was a time when Adobe Flash was preinstalled on all iSchool computers. If you see a pop-up message recommending the removal of Adobe Flash Player, uninstall it:

1. Click UNINSTALL, click Yes to allow changes…

2. Click UNINSTALL

3. Wait for the uninstallation to finish, click DONE

Sharing files with people external to the UW

Posted on by • Posted in Google Workspace, OneDrive for Business, SharePoint • Tagged , , , , •

There are times when we want to share Files/Folders with people who are not associated with the UW and who do not have a UW NetID. Here are your options and some limitations.

OneDrive

  • You can only share files in your personal UW OneDrive for Business with people that have a UW NetID.
  • Workarounds include:
    • Sponsoring a UW NetID for the external collaborator(s) and then provisioning the UW Office 365 service for them.
    • Creating a Shared UW NetID, provisioning the UW Office 365 service for it, and then sharing the credentials for this NetID with all the external collaborators. Of course, this negates any security and auditing and you risk the credentials for the Shared NetID getting passed around.

SharePoint

  • You are able to share Files and Folders and Sites in SharePoint Online with anyone that has a Microsoft Account.
    • Note this can be ANY Microsoft Account (Hotmail, Outlook.com, etc.) and does not need to be a Microsoft 365 Account.
    • Any email address can be a Microsoft Account so collaborators don’t have to sign up for anything new.
  • You can also share anything in SharePoint Online anonymously meaning no login required.
  • If HIPAA or FERPA compatibility is a concern, this is your only option.

Google Drive

  • You are able to share Files and Folders in both your personal UW Google Drive and in a UW Shared Google Drive (formerly known as a Team Drive) with ANY Google Account.
    • Note any email address can be a Google Account so collaborators don’t have to sign up for anything new.
  • You can also share anything in any Google Drive anonymously meaning no login required.
  • If HIPAA or FERPA compatibility is a concern, Google Drive is not an option.

N Drive

  • It is not possible to share anything on the iSchool N Drive (our network file share) with anyone that does not have a UW NetID.
  • Accessing the N Drive from off-campus requires the Husky OnNet VPN (which also requires a UW NetID).

RStudio

Posted on by • Posted in macOS, Software, Windows 10 •

As with any programming language, you will inevitably run into problems, confusing situations, or just general questions when working in R. Here are a few ways to start getting help

1. Read the error messages: If there is an issue with the way you have written or executed your code, R will often print out an error message in your console (in red in RStudio). Do your best to decipher the message—read it carefully, and think about what is meant by each word in the message—or you can put that message directly into Google to search for more information.

2. Built-in documentation: RStudio provides built-in documentation. Functions and behaviors are all described in the same format, and often contain helpful examples. To search the documentation within R (or in RStudio), type a question mark (?) followed by the function name you’re using (e.g, ?sum). You can perform a broader search of available documentation by typing two questions marks (??) followed by your search term (e.g., ??sum).

You can also look up help by using the help() function (e.g., help(print) will look up information on the print() function, just as ?print does). There is also an example() function you can call to see examples of a function in action (e.g., example(print)).

3. Packages: R packages do not ship with the R software by default, but rather need to be downloaded (once) and then loaded into your interpreter’s environment (each time you wish to use them). The base R software provides install.packages() function for installing packages, and the library() function for loading them. The following example illustrates installing and loading the stringr package:

# Install the `stringr` package. Only needs to be done once per computer
install.packages("stringr")

# Load the package (make `stringr` functions available in this `R` session)
library("stringr") # quotes optional here, but best to include them
Install the CrashPlan file backup application

Install the CrashPlan file backup application

Posted on by • Posted in Backup, Software • Tagged , , , , •

This page includes detailed instructions for installing the CrashPlan file backup software used on all iSchool faculty, staff, and PhD student computers.

Windows instructions

macOS instructions

Windows CrashPlan install instructions

1. Go to the website:

ischool.uw.edu/crashplan

Enter your @uw.edu email address. Click Sign In. Authenticate with your UWNetID@uw.edu credentials when asked.

 

2. Mouse-over ADMINISTRATION, underneath CLIENT MANAGEMENT click Downloads, click the download icon for the most-recent, highest-number-version of the Windows – 64-bit option to download the installer file.

 

3. Double-click the downloaded .msi file to install CrashPlan; use/select all of the default installer settings. 

4. Start the CrashPlan application (if it does not open after installation), use the following settings:

Username: UWNetID@uw.edu

Click Continue.

Authenticate with your UWNetID@uw.edu credentials if asked.

 

 

5. Click Add New Device at the “…never backed up” screen, click Yes at the “Add as new device…” screen.

 

6. The CrashPlan application will start backing up the computer.

macOS Code42 CrashPlan install instructions

1. Go to the website:

ischool.uw.edu/crashplan

Enter your @uw.edu email address. Click Sign In. Authenticate with your UWNetID@uw.edu credentials when asked.

 

2. Mouse-over ADMINISTRATION, underneath CLIENT MANAGEMENT click Downloads, click the download icon for the most-recent, highest-number-version of the Mac option to download the installer file.

 

3. Open the downloaded .dmg file, double-click the Install CrashPlan.pkg file, click Continue, click Install.

4. Start the CrashPlan application (if it does not open after installation), sign in using the following settings:

Username: UWNetID@uw.edu

Click Continue.

Authenticate with your UWNetID@uw.edu credentials if asked.

 

5. Click Add New Device at the “…signing in for the first time…” screen, click Yes at the “Add as new device…” screen.

 

6. The CrashPlan application will start backing up the computer.

 

Eduroam

Posted on by • Posted in UW • Tagged , , •

Eduroam is the preferred Wi-Fi network to use while on the University of Washington campus. Eduroam is an encrypted network available at participating institutions around the world. See UW-IT’s Eduroam documentation for much more information about Eduroam.

Connecting to or “onboarding” to the Eduroam Wi-Fi network requires a specific set of steps. The steps to connect to the Eduroam Wi-Fi network are on UW-IT’s website:

Eduroam Onboarding Guides