20,000 CSULB subscribers prove e-mail's popularity

In the information age in which computers have become a major source of communication, Electronic Mail system (e-mail), one of the most popular activities in the Internet, has been an essential communication tool among Cal State Long Beach's students, faculty and staff.

According to Walter Gajewski, instructional lab coordinator of CSULB's Academic Computing Services, e-mail is basically an electronic message service with an unlimited range of communication.

"E-mail allows faculty, staff and students to access, send and receive electronic mail to and from any person in the world," Gajewski said.

"In the first two weeks of Fall semester, at least 2,000 people opened an e-mail account in addition to the current 20,000 account holders," Gajewski continued. "These numbers really give you an idea of e-mail's popularity."

Applicants who are interested in opening an e-mail account can go to computer lab room 371 of the Liberal Arts Building 5.

They will be asked to fill out an information sheet and sign an agreement stating that users must not utilize the university's e-mail system for illicit purpose such as sending threatening letters.

Students will then choose a password, which the laboratory's computer will process immediately. Within six hours, the selected password will be processed and its validity will be effective as long as the account holder is a continuing registered student or a professor or staff employed by the university.

Once in effect, the applicants can use the computers in any computer laboratories in the library, Engineering and Business buildings to access their e-mail accounts.

However, Gajewski emphasized that non-enrolled or non-employed people cannot obtain free campus e-mail accounts.

"So far, there has been little abuse of the e-mail system," Gajewski said. "Only minor problems, such as passwords that applicants forget, tend to occur."

Currently, the Academic Computing Services is anticipating new software next semester that will improve the current e-mail software of system.

Gajewski said the upgrading of the old software will create more flexibility for e-mail users in terms of saving and sending the messages on floppy disk.

LA5's computer lab hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays, 8 to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays from 8 to 4 p.m.