Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.s)
General Questions:
Q: Can I get an employee discount on a computer?
A: HP is provding an Employee Purchase Program to RBUSD employees at the HP Website. Apple computers for home use can be purchased at the Apple Store under the heading 'Shop For Yourself', click on 'Find your K-12 school' and follow the prompts. Or you may call 800-800-APPL (2775) and talk to someone live about ordering.
Q: Can I get an employee discount on a computer?
A: HP is provding an Employee Purchase Program to RBUSD employees at the HP Website. Apple computers for home use can be purchased at the Apple Store under the heading 'Shop For Yourself', click on 'Find your K-12 school' and follow the prompts. Or you may call 800-800-APPL (2775) and talk to someone live about ordering.
Q: I received a new computer. Can I install it myself?
A: No. The District uses an 'imaging' process to configure all computers attached to the RBUSD network. This imaging process ensures that every computer complies with the District's as well as state and federal requirements for reporting, security and audit controls. All computers connected to the District network and/or serviced by the District must be installed with and continue to run a standardized District image as approved by Information Technology.
Q: I've been told that my equipment (computer, printer, monitor, etc.) is 'unrepairable' and is being salvaged by the District. How do I get replacement equipment?
A: When computer eqiupment cannot be repaired (for instance, parts are no longer available) or when it is too costly to repair it (the repairs would exceed 50% of the replacement cost) then it is 'salvaged'. There is no budget to replace salvaged equipment and therefore it is up to the site to fund the replacement.
Q: When I have computer problems, technology requirements or just general questions WHO DO I CALL?
A: All technology related questions and problems can be reported to the Information Technology Help Desk at https://helpdesk.rbusd.org or by calling (310) 937-1234.
Networking, E-mail, and Internet Questions:
Q: How do I report a website that I feel should be blocked or unblocked?
A: Sites can be submitted for review directly to the Information Technology Department for review at https://helpdesk.rbusd.org or by calling (310) 937-1234.
Q: What is SPAM and viruses and how does the District combat them?
A: The District makes extensive use of electronic mail (e-mail) to conduct its day to day business. There are more than 1,000 e-mail accounts currently in use by teachers, staff and administrators and the District processes in excess of 43,000 electronic mail messages per day. Numerous automated systems monitor and filter the District's e-mail services. In fact, over one-third of all e-mail is filtered due to content, viruses and SPAM. The filtering services in use are state of the art; however, the Internet and e-mail are constantly evolving and new threats are discovered on a daily basis. Users of the District e-mail system need to be aware and vigilant of these potential threats and how to cope with and report them.
SPAM
SPAM is generally defined as unsolicited and unwanted e-mail. Just like junk mail sent to your home, SPAM sent to your e-mail address contains advertisements. Unlike junk mail however, SPAM is incredibly cheap to send. Thousands of SPAM messages can be sent from anywhere in the world for a few pennies. Unfortunately, most of the SPAM that you see comes from outside the United States. While there are federal laws concerning SPAM there is no international law or enforcement. What can you do? Try these simple steps first.
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Delete the message. There are limited resources that the District can allocate to preventing SPAM. If you receive an unsolicited message - delete it. If a SPAM message that you receive is offensive, threatening or obscene, put in a Help Desk Ticket https://helpdesk.rbusd.org for review.
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Unsubscribe to the e-mail. Most SPAM e-mails contain a link that can be used to unsubscribe to their messages. Take a moment to follow the steps listed in the message to prevent future messages. If a SPAM e-mail does not have an unsubscribe link, or the link does not work, put in a Help Desk Ticket https://helpdesk.rbusd.org for review.
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Your District email account is provided to conduct business related to District operations. Do not provide you District email account to anyone, any website or any entity not related to District business. So, if you receive email from a commercial website, you will know if it is SPAM or not.
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If you would like more information, the Federal Trade Commission has excellent resources regarding SPAM at www.ftc.gov click on "Consumers" and "Internet and e-Commerce".
Viruses
Viruses are rampant on the Internet and e-mail is the most popular way of spreading viruses. District based anti-virus software is updated dozens of times per day but still, on occasion, viruses get through. Once your computer has a virus it is possible to spread it to other computers at your site. The result is lost productivity on your part and man-hours for the Information Technology Department to scan and repair the damage. Viruses can be prevented in several simple ways.
Viruses are rampant on the Internet and e-mail is the most popular way of spreading viruses. District based anti-virus software is updated dozens of times per day but still, on occasion, viruses get through. Once your computer has a virus it is possible to spread it to other computers at your site. The result is lost productivity on your part and man-hours for the Information Technology Department to scan and repair the damage. Viruses can be prevented in several simple ways.
- Do not open e-mail from a person that you do not know or any e-mail that you are not expecting if it contains an attachment (a paper clip icon in Outlook).
- If an e-mail is suspicious, contact the sender to see if they sent you an e-mail. Many viruses "impersonate" the sender. Just because an e-mail has John Doe as the sender does not mean that John Doe sent you the message or that their system has a virus.
- If you opened an e-mail and feel that it may have contained a virus or believe that your system may be infected, contact the Help Desk immediately (310) 937-1234 or put in a Help Desk Ticket https://helpdesk.rbusd.org The Help Desk can walk you through the steps to scan your system for viruses.
Internet Filtering:
The Federal Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires the District to take active measures to filter inappropriate Internet content. While this system is very comprehensive, it is not perfect. Some inappropriate sites do get through and some legitimate sites are blocked. The first step to take to block or unblock any web site is to put in a Help Desk Ticket https://helpdesk.rbusd.org
E-Mail Addressing:
In Outlook, when you send an e-mail to another Exchange user (any RBUSD teacher, staff or administrator), you need only type the person's names on the TO: line. It is not necessary to know or type their 'Internet mail address' such as jdoe@rbusd.org. As you type the person's name on the TO: line, Exchange will attempt to find the closest match to a user in the address book. If you cannot find a user or do not know the correct spelling of their name, you can browse the Exchange Global Address List address book by full name, last name, location, etc. Using 'Internet addressing' to e-mail another Exchange user is also extremely inefficient. By doing this you are needlessly sending the message outside the District and on to Internet. The message is then returned to the District and sent on to the user. This not only slows down the delivery of your message.
Motorola Walkie-Talkie Radios:
The Federal Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires the District to take active measures to filter inappropriate Internet content. While this system is very comprehensive, it is not perfect. Some inappropriate sites do get through and some legitimate sites are blocked. The first step to take to block or unblock any web site is to put in a Help Desk Ticket https://helpdesk.rbusd.org
E-Mail Addressing:
In Outlook, when you send an e-mail to another Exchange user (any RBUSD teacher, staff or administrator), you need only type the person's names on the TO: line. It is not necessary to know or type their 'Internet mail address' such as jdoe@rbusd.org. As you type the person's name on the TO: line, Exchange will attempt to find the closest match to a user in the address book. If you cannot find a user or do not know the correct spelling of their name, you can browse the Exchange Global Address List address book by full name, last name, location, etc. Using 'Internet addressing' to e-mail another Exchange user is also extremely inefficient. By doing this you are needlessly sending the message outside the District and on to Internet. The message is then returned to the District and sent on to the user. This not only slows down the delivery of your message.
Motorola Walkie-Talkie Radios:
Q: My radio won’t charge, what should I do?
A: Make sure the charger is plugged in and the light is on. Clean the charge contacts on the bottom or back of the radio with a rubber ink eraser.
Q: How do I get new batteries?
A: Batteries may be purchased by contacting the Information Technology Department via helpdesk.rbusd.org.