FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to questions frequently posed by students and visitors to my website
What courses are you teaching this year?
Fall 2009
MI021/CS021 Computers in Management – four sections (I teach the IS half taught the first half of the fall semester)
Section 3 – MWF 9
Section 4 – MWF 10
Section 5 – MWF 2
Section 6 – MWF 3
Jan 2010:
MI805 TechTrek West – Graduate (prep sessions held Fall 2008, field visits to Seattle & Silicon Valley held January 2009)
Spring 2010
MI205 TechTrek West – Undergraduate (class sessions held the first half of the Spring semester, field visits to Silicon Valley held over Spring Break)
MI021/CS021 Computers in Management – four sections (I teach the IS half taught the second half of the spring semester)
Section 3 – MWF 9
Section 4 – MWF 10
Section 5 – MWF 2
Section 6 – MWF 1
Spring 2010 (prep)/May 2009 (travel)
IME Asia – Graduate International Management Experience Field Study to Asia.
How can I reach you / what are your office hours / what’s your contact information?
See the Contact Info page.
How can I get the best possible grade in class?
Attend all classes, come to class prepared, complete all of the assignments & assigned reading, take thorough notes, study in groups, ask lots of questions, and drop by to see me if you have any questions.
Is there any way I can do an extra-credit project to increase my grade?
Sorry, but there is no way to alter the grading criteria. The grade criteria are defined at the start of the semester & all students have an equal opportunity to earn grades within the pre-stated parameters. I want everyone to learn the material and do well. If you struggle with any concepts, please come and see me.
What is the Week in Geek? Do I need to read it?
The Week in Geek™ (WiG) has been published since 1997. New WiGs are issued roughly every week or two during the school year (The WiG takes a hiatus during school holidays). Unless otherwise indicated, the Week in Geek are all optional readings. I include the most interesting recent articles I run across – the sort of insight that gives you goosebumps. Many times the WiG also includes extra articles that give more detail on class topics for those that want to know more. The WiG is offered to encourage folks to return to the web site (also accessible at http://www.WeekInGeek.com/) and to keep in touch with alumni. There are hundreds of WiG subscribers from places as far away as Mumbai and Bahrain and I’m thrilled that so many former students are regular WiG readers. You can receive the WiG via e-mail or newsfeed from the top of my web site. In order to keep updated after you graduate, I suggest you use an e-mail account that you intend to keep after you leave BC (like Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, or a BC lifetime alumni e-mail forwarding account). The WiG is free & your e-mail address will not be sold or shared with other organizations. The WiG is a great way to keep in touch with happenings at BC and to become a ‘life long learner’. Please stay in touch!
I see that you own ‘gallaugher.com’ and ‘WeekInGeek.com’. I want to buy my own domain name. How do I do this?
You’ll need to pay to register the domain name (if it is even available), and you’ll likely want a company to host your pages at that domain. The firm that I use is godaddy.com, but there are many choices. C|Net and similar resources can provide ISP reviews and additional advice.
I’ve heard you podcast your courses. Where can I find them?
Podcasts will be accessible from links on main web page as they become available. Some are also available via iTunes. If you’re a member of the BC Community, my classes are also on Boston College’s iTunes University site. If you’re registered for my class, just log into http://agora.bc.edu, then click the ‘podcast’ link. Please let me know if you’ve used the podcasts. I value the feedback!
I have other question about Computing at Boston College. Where can I get help?
552-HELP (4357) is the help desk, however the desk is frequently unavailable or busy. The BC Computing & Communications Resources page also contains extremely helpful information. This page is VERY helpful – please visit it and become familiar with the offerings. You should definitely take time to acquaint yourself with these resources. I cannot troubleshoot software problems that occur on student PCs.
My computer doesn’t work on campus. What’s going on?
Students using a computer on the BC network will need to reactivate (https://activate.bc.edu) to access the Internet. Student activation is an annual process. The O’Neill Campus Technology Resource Center can provide help if you’re having access problems.
You mentioned everyone should have virus protection software. Which should I buy?
BC offers Virus protection software for free to students, staff, and faculty. Please see the BC Virus Protection Page for details. Set virus protection software for automatic update, perform Windows updates regularly, and NEVER open an enclosure that isn’t fully explained and that isn’t convincingly sent from someone you know. When in doubt, e-mail the sender back for confirmation.
I use a third-party Internet Service Provider, but I can’t access all of the BC resources that I can when I’m on campus. Is there any way I can access these without having to use BC’s often-busy dialup access?
Students that use third-party Internet service providers (ISPs) such as Comcast, RCN, Verizon, may want to set up a virtual private network, or VPN. The VPN will make any computer accessing BC via a third-party service provider seem as if it’s part of the BC network. This will make most Internet resources available via campus PCs available to your off-campus computer. Information on setting up a VPN for BC is available at BC’s VPN configuration help page. Any questions on VPN should be directed to BC’s Help Center.
I want to work in IS. Where can I find job listings or internships?
In addition to visiting the career center, check the links I’ve posted in the Resources and also the Jobs/Recruiting blog. Also feel free to drop by – I’m always happy to offer career advice.
I’m an alumnus working in Tech. Does BC have a tech-focused alumni organization?
Absolutely. The Boston College Technology Council has offices in Boston and Silicon Valley. The BCTC regularly runs dinner and breakfast series featuring talks from tech’s top-leadership. Past speakers have included Apple’s Phil Schiller, Sun co-founder Scott McNealy, the CEOs of Motorola, Xerox, NetApp, and many others. Alums and graduating seniors should get on the TechCouncil mailing list by sending an e-mail message bctc@bc.edu. Alums in Tech interested in speaking on campus, assisting in recruiting, or hosting a student TechTrek visit at their firm should also contact me at john.gallaugher@bc.edu.
The industry is changing so fast. How can I keep up with the latest happenings in high-tech?
There are a number of things you can do.
- The short-cut is to subscribe to the Week in Geek at the top of my home page – I regularly draw articles from the resources below when creating the WiG.
- Use an RSS reader (Google Reader is quite popular, but there are many) that allows you to quickly scan headlines of major pubications. Check the Resources page for my favorite links.
- Follow industry publications, journalists, VCs, and other digirati on Twitter. Install Twitter on your smart phone, or use TweetDeck, and refer to this regularly to get the gist of what’s hot online.
- MBAs should join the Graduate TechClub. Undergrads should join the Information Systems Academy and ACM. The IS Department Admin (in Fulton 460) can help you find the way to connect with each of these groups The Clubs host speakers, local site visits, and the graduate club is involved in planning the Cyberposium with Harvard & other leading business schools. Cyberposium is the premiere tech conference in the East & a must-attend for anyone serious about leveraging technology. Past events have attracted founders & senior executives from leading e-commerce firms worldwide.
- Apply to TechTrek. These programs (January for graduate students, spring break for undergrads) bring students to visit with executives & managers at firms in the tech industry as well as those leveraging or investing in tech. Talk to someone who has been on a prior TechTrek. Students rave about the experience.
- Alumni should join the Boston College Technology Council. With active chapters on both coasts and leadership featuring senior executives in the tech & venture capital community, the Boston College Technology Council is critical resource for all alumni. Regular dinners and breakfast series attract a who’s who of tech and finance. Visit the BCTC web page for more details.
Links to all of these resources are available on the Resources page.
I see you’ve got an eBay gumball machine in your office. Can I have some of what’s inside of it?
Sure – that’s why it’s there. There is a penny bowl next to it, so you don’t have to pay 
But there’s no gum, just M&Ms. Special bonus, though, they’re custom M&Ms that contain secret messages. I won’t tell you what they say, though. You’ve got to drop by to find out for yourself.
There’s a rumor you’re blind/legally blind/going blind. Is that true? Why don’t you wear glasses? Come clean with us.
To paraphrase Mark Twain ‘the rumors of my blindness are greatly exaggerated’. I see well enough to have a catch with my kids and have no problem with colors and dark/light, but my vision is so poor that I can’t drive a car. I’ve got a focusing delay, macular degeneration in my left eye, and I’m really near-sighted. I wear contacts instead of glasses (my glasses are huge and the thickness and curvature distort my vision to the point where I lose several lines on an eye chart – believe it or not, contacts are better). If I look at you with my head tilted, it’s because one eye is worse than the other. But it’s really not a big deal other than not being able to drive. You can help me out – PLEASE don’t sit in the back row in class, and be sure to write your name on your name card REALLY BIG so I can see it. Thanks!
You totally didn’t recognize me – is that because you’re blind?
I’m not blind (see above), but I also have a terrible memory for names & faces (a bad combo, especially when teaching ~450 students each year). I’m good with details though, so put an obscure fact on your wiki page – I’ll likely remember that (more than a decade later I still recall the tuba-playing disco-twin). So sorry if I can’t remember you, I don’t mean to seem insincere. This is simply a skill I wasn’t born with. Please refresh my memory when we meet again! And remember, there are M&Ms in the office, so there’s an incentive for a re-introduction!
Who’s is that autographed poster of a mountain climber on your wall?
A blind guy – doh! But not because I have poor vision – simply because Erik Weihenmayer is hugely inspiring. Erik and I overlapped during our student time at BC, but we didn’t know each other well. After leaving BC, Erik summited the highest peaks on each continent and was the first blind climber to scale Mt. Everest. Among many media appearances and speaking engagements, he has appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, has written a riveting memoir, and has appeared in a documentary. He also delivered the Boston College commencement address in 2003. Erik kindly sent an autographed poster so I can share his story. Whenever I grumbling that things seem difficult I look up at the image of him scaling Everest and realize that whatever I’m grumping about isn’t all that much.
Why do you have a picture of Groucho Marx and John Lennon on your wall?
It’s not a picture, it’s a stamp issued by a break-away region of Abkhazia in what was once Soviet Georgia. After years of issuing stamps of Marx and Lenin (Karl & Vladimir), the new government figured they’d issue stamps of a kinder, gentler Marx and “Lennon”. I used to work in the Soviet Union, so I enjoyed this not-so-subtle jab at communism.
Can I borrow your slides, use your material, or cite your research?
Sure. All material online is copyrighted by me unless otherwise noted, but it’s available free to faculty & students for use in their courses. I welcome an opportunity to share my materials with others – all I ask that you cite me if you’re using any of the materials and you let me know what you’re using and what you find interesting. I very much enjoy hearing from faculty, researchers, practitioners, press, and other curious visitors to my site and I’d look forward to an opportunity to collaborate on future projects. No advanced permission is required to cite my research or link to my pages. Be aware that I usually have a number of working papers and items under submission. Serious inquiries regarding these works are most welcome.
I’m not currently a BC student, but I’m considering BC. What should I expect?
BC is a great place – I love it here and if you join us, I’m sure you’ll have a great experience. There’s never been a better time to be associated with this University. Boston College has been ranked by US News as a University, Undergrad Management Program, and Full-Time MBA program. The BC part-time (evening) MBA program is the highest ranked program in New England. BC’s IS faculty recently ranked #25 in quality research productivity. Both undergrad and graduate programs run for-credit TechTrek field study courses where students meet with leading tech-industry executives. Grad programs run highly successful for-credit study trips to Asia, Europe, and a consulting course with results delivered in Beijing. Many of these field study experiences include student-alumni mixers and meetings with senior executives affiliated with BC. Over the last few years we’ve placed BC students at leading tech firms (Cisco, IBM, Intel, EMC, Google, Nintendo), IT research firms (Gartner, IDC, Forrester), and consulting firms (Accenture, CapGemini, Deloitte, E&Y, IBM, McKinsey, and the boutiques). My colleagues on the faculty have world-class research reputations and are deeply committed to quality teaching. Many of us keep close ties to industry through consulting, speaking, and advising roles. We also leverage in-residence faculty associated with leading area firms.