[OPLINTECH] USB Key drives

[Chad Neeper]

LOL! Aren't ball-less mice wonderful! No more cleaning or replacing those =
elusive mouse balls. Point taken about Young Children vs. Things Not Tied =
Down. I suppose you could plug the USB cable into the back of the =
workstation (ports are usually supplied there as well as the front =
[sometimes]) and then use a cable tie or two screwed to the desk to keep =
it from walking away. Ahh well...It was just a thought...

I've seen mention of some libraries disabling the USB ports entirely. One =
even went so far as to physically remove the port by desoldering it from =
the motherboard. I definately would NOT recommend that, even for someone =
comfortable with a soldering iron. In Windows, you could simply disable =
the USB drivers and use a ps/2 KB and mouse. At least...as long as ps/2 =
connectors are still provided on new computers!


Chad





---------------------
Chad Neeper
Senior Systems Engineer
Network Response Group
614-481-9400

--  Full LAN/WAN consulting services specialized in libraries and schools  =
--


>>> "Mann, James H." <JMann@gcpl.lib.oh.us> 11/11/04 02:51PM >>>
Interesting:
We use the bios to prevent patrons from booting from a floppy
We virus scan every floppy
Our DVD drives are disabled
It's gonna be a bit before we provide patrons with DVD\DR\CDRW

Extender USB cables sound like a good idea but after spending some years
chasing after mice and/or mice balls I have religious objections to
anything not tied down. And, there is enough stuff going on under the
desk now without giving babies and young children yet something else to
play with.

I will except that patrons are using USB drives for information, but am
a bit concerned that we aren't taking into consideration webcams and all
sorts of other stuff that runs off USB. It won't be too awful long until
we're discussing the patron who is on their wireless keyboard,
downloading music and chatting on their webcam...oh, did I mention
headphones with microphones...

Jim Mann
Technology Coordinator
Greene County Public Library
Xenia Ohio 45385
(937) 376-2996 x210
mailto: jmann@gcpl.lib.oh.us=20