I am not against laptops. I just don't see a reason to bring a laptop to class and provide wireless during classes -- MIDN will surf the internet.
Just a Mom, does USMA allow their cadets to connect to other networks?
You don't need a laptop to check mail every few hours. There is plenty of emails at USNA and you check it a few times a day. This was the case when I was there.
I am not sure what USMA is doing for security, so I can't comment on the differences in policies. I do know it only takes one computer to be able to send a virus throughout the network.
First, I live by a laptop and a blackberry. I am lost without them as are most of my colleagues in my office. It is the way the world is going and I do not see it changing. Having just made untold number of visits to many college campuses, I cannot tell you how many of them A) require you to purchase either their laptop or one that meets certain requirements and B) How many of them require students to utilize and bring them to classes. I also want to point that many university’s are also research institutions…..they manage to protect their secured networks just fine.
tgp,
I have worked with Info Tech for the last five years. I have nothing against furthering technology or using it. However, we cannot make an assumption, especially in the military, that technology is always working. If we rely on this option, then when we have failures, no one will be able to revert to the "old school" methods. The Navy is a bigger target with many different types of hackers trying to break-in.
Second, I can remember when we first started using laptops in the fleet in our HMMWV’s. On my last deployment I had a laptop that was connected via GIS that would allow me to look at all the various layers of the battlefield on a Map. I could coordinate attacks with units that I literally could not see.
It would be better to start training our future officers to utilize such technology now while they are in school then while fighting a War in the Field….(Which I have seen and makes it even more exciting)
Concur. This is something that isn't taught at USNA, rather it is done out in the Fleet. Those applications/software are CLASSIFIED. USNA, in my opinion, does not prepare officers to join their communities, rather they provide ENS/2nd Lts that have the skills/tools/resources to lead; thus, every community, with the exception of SWO, sends their newly commissioned officers to school/training. Hopefully SWOS will be coming back....hopefully.
I agree there needs to be a balance. I just fail to see a reason why it is critical for USNA to have this technology (I'd be supportive of having a wireless connection within Nimitz) -- especially with the current money allocated to the Fleet.