Dmac Blog

As you probably already know, blogs have become very popular both in and out of the technical field. More and more people are beginning to realize how versatile a blog is. Though they are mainly used for personal journals, blogs can also be used to communicate to a target audience. The key is placing the blog in a location where it will be read on a consistent basis by your target audience.

I am the Public Computer Labs Coordinator for MSU and I struggle communicating with students about new equipment and improvements in the lab. With use of Blogger coupled with Windows Active Desktop, I am able to communicate effectively with students in the lab.

The first step is to create a blog interface that will serve as a desktop background. You can build your own blog with WordPress or MovableType, but it is much easier to go to Blogger for a quick and simple interface. The one I have created for the labs can be viewed here.

Once you have your site developed, you must set it as the Windows Active Desktop. This may sound easy, but the key is to make sure that your blog serves as the desktop for every user that logs into the computer (all authenticated users). If you are on a network, login with a non-administrative account. Once you are logged in, set the Active Desktop to your new blog. Instructions can be found here. Make sure to maximize that page so that it covers the entire desktop. I also recommend setting a synchronization schedule for every hour. If you go to the display properties and the web tab there should be a button titled “synchronization”. Once you click on this you should be able to build a synchronization schedule that best works for you. This will make sure that the page stays refreshed.

The last step is to set the default user profile. Log out and log back in with an administrative account and browse to the Windows Documents and Settings folder. You should see a folder titled “Default User”. If you do not see this folder it is because it is hidden. Click here for instructions on displaying hidden files and folders. Once you can see the “Default User” folder, delete it. Assuming that earlier you logged in with john.doe, there should be a folder titled “john.doe” in the Documents and Setting folder. Rename this folder to “Default User”. Right click on the folder and go to properties and then the security tab. You will now need to set permissions for this folder. The easiest way to do this is to add the group “Everyone”. Click “Add” and find or type in the group “Everyone”. Once this is done, you are finished. Everyone that logs into this machine should be looking at your blog as the desktop background. For those of you that use ghost, take and image of this machine so that you can ghost the other computers in the lab.

Finally, go to your blog and make an announcement. Don’t be afraid to express your joy when you see that announcement show up on the desktop for every user that logs into one of your lab computers. Feel free to comment if you have any questions while implementing this.

PS: While typing this up I received several errors in regards to “blog” not being a word. Due to the popularity of “blogs” and it being the word of the year, it will definitely be a word in the next versions of word processors. Mark my words!