Campus colleagues,

As we prepare for the upcoming academic year and are engaged in research, it is important to remember that filter bubbles, also referred to as information bubbles and echo chambers, affect the results of our online searches.

Filter bubbles occur when your search engine uses algorithms to “curate” your results, promoting results that are in line with your browsing history, past click behavior, and personal preferences. This “personalization” of search results is intended to provide you with the most relevant information possible. However, it can create biases and distortions by prioritizing information in which you have previously expressed interest. And as AI becomes more prevalent in technology platforms, the risk of filter bubbles is likely to increase.

There are a couple things you can do to minimize filter bubbles. Regularly clearing your browsing data (history, cookies, cache, etc.) can help pop the bubble (see Sophos’ article for links to browser-specific instructions on clearing data). Also using different browsers if you have the ability to do so may help. Finally, some experts suggest browsing in “private” or “incognito” mode, which prevents the browser from storing information which could be used to create filter bubbles.

While the personalization of online content resulting from digital tracking provides convenience and may lead to improved productivity, there are concerns about data privacy. The storage of user data increases the risk that unauthorized parties could gain access to that data and use it for identity theft or fraud. Please read my recent data privacy post for more information about privacy.

If you would like to learn a little more about filter bubbles, there is a great 9-minute TED Talk by Eli Pariser from 2011 which focuses on filter bubbles and is still relevant today.

Thank you Jeff Japp from our Project Management Office for providing this tip. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,

Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San José State University

Campus colleagues,

Earlier this year, I shared a LinkedIn Learning tip with our campus community. Today, I’d like to remind you about LinkedIn Learning’s on-demand eLearning portal, which has expanded their library of offerings and now hosts over 17,000 courses on an array of topics. Courses range from subject refreshers to complete sessions, so there is something for everyone.

• Faculty: Are you starting to plan your courses for the upcoming semester? If so, I want to share with you that we have LinkedIn Learning integration with Canvas. This integration allows you to publish Linkedin Learning content to Canvas’ Pages, Assignments, or Modules. These LinkedIn Learning videos, courses, and learning paths can be assigned to students as prerequisites for classes or as modules to support learning objectives. Additionally, since many of these courses demonstrate real-world applications of the skills being taught, they can enhance the overall classroom experience by showing how the skills will apply outside of the academic setting.  Assignments can be tracked within Canvas to ensure students complete the courses to receive credit.
  To find out more about adding LinkedIn Learning assignments to your Canvas course, visit LinkedIn Learning – Connecting to Canvas.
• Staff: Are you looking to hone existing skills or learn something new? Take advantage of the wealth of courses available to you at no cost with your SJSU LinkedIn Learning account. The online educational offerings can help you discover and develop business, technology-related, and creative skills through expert-led course videos.

Click here to log in to LinkedIn Learning

Thanks, Leon Nguyen, Interim Director – IT Program Management Office, for providing this tip. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,

Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San José State University

Campus colleagues,

DocuSign is gradually moving to a new design system and recently rolled out a new user interface. There are quite a few small changes, but I wanted to share some highlights with you.

1.   The Manage tab has been renamed to Agreements, where you can  find envelope folders inbox, sent, completed,  etc.
2. My Preferences has a refreshed interface.  No functionality changes are involved; only a change to the look and feel.
3. The pages under the Agreements and the Templates tabs have a UI refresh.  As part of this update, the navigation for the envelopes lists and templates lists are paginated instead of having an infinite scroll pattern.
4. For Power Users who use the Bulk Send feature, please note that the Bulk Send feature also has a refreshed interface. There are no changes to the bulk send functionality; only a change to the look and feel.

Thank you Jocelyn Tom, Application Business Analyst, for all your work on digitization and for providing this tip. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,

Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San José State University

Campus colleagues,

Working hybrid or traveling this summer, but still need access to your office phone? Here’s a couple tips: you can forward your office calls to another number and access your voicemail from anywhere, anytime.

To forward calls from your office to another phone number:

1. Press the Forward All softkey.
2. Enter the number to which you want to forward your calls. Be sure to prepend the 10-digit phone number with a “71” (e.g., 714089241000).
3. The Forward All icon will display on your phone screen indicating that call forwarding is active.
4. To cancel call forwarding, press the Forward Off softkey on your phone’s touchscreen.

To check your voicemail remotely:

1. Dial 408-924-6800 and press * when the greeting begins to play.
2. Enter your 5-digit extension (e.g., 41000) followed by #.
3. Enter your voicemail PIN followed by #.

NOTE: If this is your first time accessing your voicemail, you’ll need to complete the voicemail setup process, including creating a new voicemail PIN.

Thank you Aaron Langford, one of our Network Analysts, for helping maintain our phone system and providing this tip to campus. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,
Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San Jose State University

Colleagues,

Updating your operating system and applications is a critical practice in maintaining the security and functionality of your computers and devices. Today’s tip is just four words: “Don’t wait to update!” Here are the two main reason why:

• Security Vulnerability: By fixing vulnerabilities, updates prevent cybercriminals from taking advantage of weaknesses in your software. These vulnerabilities can be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access, steal data, or disrupt services. With timely updating, your systems become less susceptible to attacks like ransomware, phishing, and malware infections.
• Performance and Stability: Updates not only enhance security but also improve performance and stability. They fix bugs, optimize code, and ensure that your software runs smoothly. Outdated software can lead to crashes, slow performance, and unexpected behavior.

If you’re using an SJSU-owned laptop or desktop, it’s likely that most of your updates are being managed automatically while you’re connected to SJSU’s network, but remember to keep an eye out for reminders to reboot your computer so that pending updates can be fully completed. Many of us also use personal devices and computers to do work and access SJSU systems. Keeping those personal devices up-to-date also helps keep university and student data secure.

Thank you to Noel McCormick from our Information Security Team for providing this tip and helping protect our university. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,
Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San Jose State University