UNC-CH Web history

Date: Mon, 18 Nov 1996 16:00:09 -0500

From: Judy Hallman <hallman@gibbs.oit.unc.edu>

To: Web-Walkers <web-walkers@unc.edu>, Support <support@unc.edu>

Subject: UNC-CH Web history

To Web-Walkers and Support lists:

A student asked me for UNC-CH web history information for a paper he was writing. I thought you might be interested in seeing it. Here's what I have.

Judy Hallman (judy_hallman@unc.edu, http://www.unc.edu/-hallman/)

Campus-Wide Information Systems Manager, UNC-Chapel Hill

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November 1987: Initial planning for service using VTX software running on a DEC VAX.

January 1988: Set up steering committee, which included a student (Stephanie Ahlschwede, I think she was a freshman then)

Feb. 16, 1988: Article in DTH, front page: "Computer network to relay campus-wide information."

April 1988: Letter sent to deans, directors and department heads -- "If you have data you think should be added to this database, please specify a contact person on the attached form." During the spring and summer I met with each of the contact people.

May 4, 1988: Newsbrief article -- "Campus Information Center Planned."

August 17, 1988: News Release from News Services -- "Free computerized information service offers up-to-minute campus data."

"Info offers UNC students, faculty and staff a simple, convenient system for obtaining the information they need..."

"Our immediate goal is to provide information that freshmen will find helpful..."

August 17, 1988: Newsbrief -- "ACS Implements Info System for UNC" -database contains:

The student handbook, which is now called "The Source"

MANY calendars and event schedules

Campus newsletters

Facts & Information brochure

Campus Directory

Employment opportunities

September 2, 1988: DTH article -- "Computer system to provide students with campus Info"

... "To use Info, students or faculty can use designated terminals in Davis library, the undergrad library or the student union."

September 15, 1988: Orange Edition, Triangle Observer, the News and Observer: "Electronic orientation introduced: UNC-CH campus grows user-friendly"

September 16, 1988: DTH -- "Center to store information about campus organizations"

September 28, 1988: DTH supplement on CompuFest '88: "Computer system provides students with INFOrmation"

"We're making new information available daily" -- Associate Provost John Harrison

"UNC students now have direct access to the NCSU system through INFO."

"University Registrar David Lanier said he has printed his academic calendar in INFO."

September 28, 1988: Newsbrief "Grant Information Available in INFO"

November 23, 1988: Newsbrief "Independent Study Catalog in INFO"

April 5, 1989: Newsbrief -- "Student Organizations Now In INFO"

April 19, 1989: DTH: "Campus INFO enters into computer age."

"Some new services include faculty and student phone number and address listings and listings of officially recognized student organizations."

"Terminal are in several places on campus, include the Student Union, Davis Library, House Undergraduate Library, the South Building lobby and Manning Hall's lobby."

May 10, 1989: Newsbrief -- "Job Openings Now In INFO"

May 13, 1989: Dedication Ceremony, Visitors Center, Morehead:

"Tours of the facility and a demonstration of the INFO system also will be offered."

January 30, 1990: The University Gazette: "Info -- the best campus planning tool available"

Main Menu:

1. HELP -- Using INFO

2. Calendar

3. News

4. Campus Directory, catalogs, and lists

5. Ask INFO about ...

6. Other Information Systems

Included: grant and funding opportunities, faculty and staff job openings, campus directory, Independent Studies catalog, Evening College catalog, "The Source" (student handbook -- was in the initial service), newsletters

March 14, 1990: Newsbrief -- Chapel Hill Transit Guide in INFO

April 25, 1990: Newsbrief -- "Faculty Council Minutes Now In INFO"

May 28, 1990: Newsbrief -- "Toll-Free Numbers Listed In INFO"

November 12, 1990: Newsbrief -- "UNC-G Data Now In INFO"

December 10, 1990: Newsbrief -- "UNC-Wilmington Data Now In INFO"

July 1, 1991: Newsbrief -- "Appalachian State Data Now In INFO"

Sometime in 1991, INFO became available on the Administrative Data Processing (ADP) menu

October 14, 1991: Newsbrief -- The Undergraduate Bulletin is now available in INFO

The Human Resources Manual for SPA Employees and the Fact Book 1990-91 were online before June 30, 1992

December 7, 1992: Newsbrief -- "UNC-CH INFO Data Searchable from WAIS"

January 1993: There were 50 known WWW servers in the world, including one at the University of North Carolina -- SunSITE. At the time, http://www.unc.edu/ was SunSITE (now SunSITE is http://sunsite.unc.edu/)

May 31, 1993: Newsbrief -- "New, Improved INFO Service"

Put in a gopher version of Info; kept the VTX version;

duplicate maintenance

Fall 1993, Paul Jones started the UNC-CH Gopher Herd.

The University Gazette has been online for a long time. The oldest one I can find is in the gopher: November 3, 1993

November 29, 1993: Newsbrief -- "Graduate School Record Now In INFO"

December 27, 1993: "Library Gopher Server"

"The UNC-CH Internet Library section of the SunSITE gopher provides access to a large selection of information source through the Internet."

February 1994: UNC-Gopher Herd meeting summaries online (at http://www.unc.edu/campus/aboutweb/walkers/oldmtgs.html)

May 1994: Set up UNC-CH Gopherspace

July 18, 1994: Discontinued the VTX service; INFO is only on gopher.

INFO terminals bring up the "Inet" menu, allowing e-mail as well as INFO access

July 1994: UNC-Gopher Herd renamed to Web-Walkers

Summer/Fall 1994: Office of Information Technology develops a home page for the campus

October 3, 1994: First issue of the Daily Tar Heel installed in the Web

October 5, 1994: First issue of the University Gazette installed in the Web

October 1994: Web-Walkers plan replacement UNC-CH home page; began planning to kill the gopher.

December 14, 1994: University Gazette: "University, worldwide info only a computer away"

Announced the second Web home page for the campus. Picture of the Mosaic screen. Gopher service starts dying a natural death -- not being updated...

February 1995: Started summarizing e-mail sent to info@unc.edu; first summary online is September 1995. Requests coming in for information on how to create Web pages.

March 1995 - December 1995: Committee for Coordination of University Web Documents met and proposed policies; reviewed by Web-Walkers.

Fall 1995: Policies and procedures for creating personal web pages and web pages for groups were online.

August 23, 1995: Office of Information Technology announces that it
provides space for personal home pages for UNC students, faculty, and staff, as well as departments and organizations.

April 29, 1996: gopher service discontinued: no more useful info in it

February through July: Campus-wide effort to redesign the home page

Summer 1996: Policies and procedures revised.

July 1, 1996:

3,536 public_html directories on www.unc.edu

130 group ids created on www.unc.edu

104 links make from the UNC-CH home page to departments and organizations

August 7, 1996: University Gazette -- "New home page offers easier access to information"