Many new SMU students, AND some current SMU students, still do not know how to properly configure their computer. Being as slackers as CIT being undermanned, many SMU students conveniently asked (usually) their SIS peers to configure their laptops. In general, IT-literate students will kindly allow themselves to be outsourcing destination for many things that are supposedly very basic and easy and beyond their scope of academic work (not to mention quite boring)

However, I always believe that the best help you can get is the ability to help yourself. So with that philosophy in mind, here is the list of super basic stuffs that SMU students need to know.

• Setting up Ms Outlook to receive email (PDF)
• Setting up SMS password reset system (PDF)
• Mac OS guide (PDF)
• Connect to Student Wireless Network (PDF)
• Anything else that may be relevant (CIT Website)

The PDF guides may not be of the latest version. Refer to CIT website for the latest info. All the information above can be found at CIT website for free.

Nevertheless, the reason I convert the first four guides into PDFs is to make it convenient for people to store these very basic stuff into their laptop. This will enable people to configure their basic laptop function themselves without the need to connect to internet OR to call CIT. The PDFs also makes it easier to email help to one of the most IT-illiterate guys in your team. Just email them.

Yes. Feel free to download them and store them well in your laptop.

Do not get me wrong, CIT provides great services to SMU population. It is just there is too few of them around. With this handy information at hand, on/off line, I believe we all can lessen the burden of those people at CIT

Basic prerequisite before reading this chapter: Book of Genesis Chapter 1

The prettiest lady of the land, Eve (duh!), is fascinated by a particular fruit. Since slimming program and its associated image have not yet been invented and there is no way Adam, her husband, could have an affair, it is no surprise that Eve does not pay much attention to her figures and more than welcome to new addition to her daily diet.

However, a seemingly delicious fruit from one particular tree is irresistibly dangling within her reaches and yet God forbid her and her husband to eat it. They crave it and yet they comply with the God’s will. God is great. All glory to God.

One day, the snake sneaks sneakily – something weird here with my wording – to tell Eve the hidden fact behind the fruit which she long for: it is non fat and laden with antioxidant!

Ok… that was lame. As you might figured out, Eve ate the fruit of knowledge – yeah… it is called the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil by the way- and persuade her husband to eat it as well and there goes The Fall, war in middle east and slackers who have nothing to do but to read my seemed-to-be-but-actually-not blasphemous blog… yeah you!

I understand that it is wrong for Adam and Eve to disobey God’s direct order and yet I could barely understand why it is wrong to yearn for truth and knowledge and in the process become nearer to God. To put the fact in harsh words, God wants us to life forever and yet forbid us to be knowledgeable (I hear thunder).

Is knowledge is really that evil? Or it is just us.

I admit living among humanoid bipeds with brain and nuclear weaponry is definitely more daunting and harsher – not to mention environmentally unfriendly – than living with monkeys and bananas. At least hitting others with bananas is much less lethal than spraying others with hot 7.62mm projectiles.

Like any other cliché comparison, technology is like a double edge sword. It can be either useful or… arghh … I fell so dizzy. I am allergic to overused ideas.

Anyway, let me humbly, and nonsensically, try to mathematically summarize what God possibly think when forbid Adam and Eve from eating the juicy fruit of knowledge…

Imperfect creation + knowledge of good and evil (+ devil) = KABOOM!!!

In any case, I think it is rather absurd for God to ban knowledge from humanity in order to prevent human from sending nuke at each other and at the same time place a tree of knowledge in the centre of the paradise where Adam and Eve lived. Worse, He knows that human is inherently imperfect. With or without the serpent, the possibility of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit should be pretty high considering human innate curiosity and … deficiency.

Humans are also noted for their desire to understand and influence the world around them, seeking to explain and manipulate natural phenomena through science, religion, philosophy and mythology. This natural curiosity has led to the development of advanced tools and skills; humans are the only known species to build fires, cook their food, clothe themselves, and use numerous other technologies. - from Wikipedia

Yet, God’s plan is so great and I am in no place to question it.

Too bad, God has not yet show Adam and Eve the tree of wisdom – something that could significantly determine whether one’s wealth of knowledge will be used for good and vice versa. I am just wondering if God have made Tree of Ignorance of Good and Evil.

to be continued…