New To The HCIL

New to HCIL?

Most Important Things You Should Know

• The HCIL coordinator is Rashida Bandy <rbandy@umd.edu> (in 2117B as of 9/2017). Feel free to introduce yourself and ask to be added to the mailing list (and tell her a few words about you and who you are working with).
• The hcil@cs.umd.edu mailing list is used to broadcast local HCIL lab announcements.
• This [[ https://wiki.umiacs.umd.edu/hcil/%7CHCIL Wiki]] covers lots of info, like how to print, etc. To edit: login with your main campus credentials. Remember that the information is public and can be found by google (so for example do not put links to your draft paper)
• Come to the HCIL BrownBag, every Thursday 12:30-1:30. See the wiki for the schedule. Plan to present your work there as well. When we have a sponsor, there is free food!
• Every year at the end of May we organize the HCIL Symposium. Every one of you will present their work and help organize the event.
• The HCIL website is hcil.umd.edu. In the future, make sure your work is mentioned there.
• Students: Parking lot 5 is your first choice, then lot 9 / 11. OUT OF DATE!!! Please update if you know...
• projector in the lab: High quality and High res projector + good quality sound. 2 ways to connect: RGB or HDMI (better). Controls to turn on/off the projector itself are on the wall above the red sofa. There is a remote but useful ONLY in RBG mode to change aspect ratio. HighRes/HighLuminosity projector 1920x1200 – 4000 Lumens EPSON 5450WU . Be careful that the cables do not get trampled and broken.
• Calender: we have a calendar... go back to the home page and you will find link to it
• Also on the main wiki page: special info about connecting to our printers (only for HCILers not all ischool or campus students!)
• How do I do X? If it is not answered below, start by asking the HCIL coordinator, or your advisor (and once you find out, you can add it to this page!)

Working Together:

• If you want a desk: Ask your advisor to request it. We can only assign desks to grad students working with HCIL faculty, but others are welcome to use the lab, tables, unassigned desks, etc. Some cubicles have locks, some have “bring your own lock”, others have a built in lock so ask for a key from the iSchool office. Assigned desks are reviewed on a semester basis. Remember that there is a “use it or you may lose it” policy, i.e., if you don’t use your desk and we need more space for new students, we might ask you to share - or give up - your desk.
• Shared desks: Some desks are marked as “shared desks” (as of Sept. 2015, they are the ones next to the printers, on both sides (east and west) of the 2nd floor). You are welcome to use them as much as you want (if you do not have an assigned desk), on a 1st come 1st served basis, for each visit. Of course you can also use the tables and sofas elsewhere in the lab. We know that chairs move every time there is an big event in the lab, so you may have to go find one in the big lab. Be considerate and also leave the space neat when you leave.
• Room for impromptu small meetings: this is changing... need to be updated.
• The big HCIL room/lab is also a shared space - with priority to the HCIL folks. Everyone can use the whiteboard wall. Take photos when you are done, as everyone is allowed to erase everything on the wall. You can have informal work meetings there anytime you want (just expect people to walk in and out to get to the Hackerspace/fridge/coffee/calendar). There is a paper calendar on the bookcase to reserve the space (which then allows you to close the door for a semi-private meeting).
• Other meeting rooms can be reserved via the iSchool (see Daisy or the receptionist on the 4th floor).
• The 2nd floor main door is closed at night. There is a printed sheet above the sink with more details and emergency info. Your advisor can get you expanded access, if needed, for the evenings.
• The printers are for HCIL use ONLY. Ask your advisor how to get paper for the printer, as it depends what department you are in. The HCIL cannot buy paper for everyone. Use color only when absolutely necessary. And use the b/w printer whenever you only need black ink (it’s cheaper). Please print duplex (double-sided) if at all possible. See the page on printing for more info.
• Other less important things:
  • The HCIL coordinator can add you to the HCIL website people page if you are not yet
  • When you make your work available online with a webpage, tell the HCIL coordinator so we can link to it from the main HCIL website
  • TODO: Add something about papers and TRs

Living Together

• You don’t have to wait for Thursdays to eat with us! There is typically a contingent of people eating together around 12:30 every day. Come find us! We are most often in the lab but if it’s nice outside we will go outside on Hornbake Plaza to eat.
• For organizing fun outings there is a special smaller list, hcil-play@cs.umd.edu. You can add yourself to this list here: https://mailman.cs.umd.edu/mailman/listinfo/hcil-play
• We have our own little sink, fridge and coffee machines in the main lab, but WE have to keep the sink area clean by ourselves. The building cleaning staff will not touch it. The same goes for the fridge! Please don’t leave old gross food in the fridge!
• HCIL does NOT have a budget for coffee and other such supplies so in general we use a “bring your own” method, or get together with other HCILers with similar needs to share the cost. HCIL makes the supplies leftover from events to everyone. Please only use what is next to the fridge, NOT what is in the cabinets, as it is reserved for special events.
• Other less important things:
  • If you use the sofas to nap/relax, please tidy them up when you are done.

QUESTIONS?

• Can I come to the brownbag even if I don’t officially belong to HCIL?
  • YES!
• I am not part of HCIL, can I be on the mailing list?
  • Yes, but you might find that there are a lot of emails.
  • And you might find you want to be part of the HCIL after all . . .
• I'm preparing a brownbag presentation and I'm a student and an HCIL member. Is there a slide template I could use?
  • You could try to extract one from one of the presentations here: http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/pubs/presentations/

• ADD YOUR QUESTIONS HERE (and we will answer here)