留加见闻之一 | 麦基的邮件系统

三年前，我来交通大学报到。除去办理住宿，领军训服之外，最早做的一件事情就是办理了一张属于自己的校园卡。这张校园卡伴随了我大学三年，并将陪我到顺利毕业。有了这张校园卡，就可以畅通无阻的进出图书馆，宿舍楼，实验室；就可以用来在学生超市购物，作为身份验证等等。

在麦基，校园卡当然也极为重要。但比校园卡更加重要的，可能就是学校的邮件系统了。在领到校园卡之前，Registation Office就首先给我分配了一个用自己名字命名的麦基邮箱。与交大存在感极弱的邮箱相比，麦基邮箱起到了校园生活中极其重要的作用。三个月来，我收到了很多来自麦基的“官方邮件”，他们真实的反映了麦基的校园生活。

首先，先看一条麦基校规，明确地指出邮箱的地位。

麦基邮箱承担的最重要的作用当然是信息通知。有些通知很常见，有些通知则很有意思。

下图是在18Fall学期开学发给每个学生的邮件。

其中介绍了许多新生需要注意的内容，比如

下面一封邮件是关于校园安全的。可见麦基对学生安全的关心。

Some of the best ways to stay safe on and around campus are to get to know McGill’s designated, well-lit night routes, to be cautious about overindulging, and to keep an eye out for the wellbeing of those around you. For a friendly hand getting home safely at the end of the night, don’t hesitate to contact WalkSafeat 514-398-2498 or DriveSafeat 514-398-8040. If you see or experience something that has you concerned, call McGill Security Services at 514-398-3000 (for downtown) or 514-398-7777 (on Macdonald campus). For emergencies, call 911. Security Services can also be contacted for escorts on or near the downtown campus outside WalkSafe’s hours. 我刚来的时候，临近一桩实验楼发生了一起火灾，下面这封邮件是对这场火灾的描述。

Sign up now for RAD, a self-defense course for women taught by McGill Security Services. The one-day basic training workshop is offered to all female students, faculty and staff at a cost of only $20. There will be two courses taught downtown this semester: Friday, Sept. 21 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Friday, Sept. 28 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). The workshops will take place in the Activity Room of the McGill sports complex. Once you have signed up, you will receive more information on the course. Get more information and register here. 以上都是关于安全的通知。麦基的邮件系统还负责很多其他类型的通知。比如，课程的注册确认信，考试确认信，还有一些学习资料的发放。

Please read carefully this email prior to the start of the online test. The online exam activation period is strictly limited; starts this today (before 3:15PM), and ends at exactly 11:00PM on Thursday, August 23. In other words, you have until Thursday evening to complete the online test. Failing to comply will result in the absence of WHMIS 2015 certification.

In preparation for the online open-book exam you can study & use the course notes attached to this email. 还有就是，图书馆愉悦讨论室的确认信。现在交大好像也可以预约图书馆讨论室了。通过这封确认信，你可以方便的取消预约。

The following has been confirmed: HSSL - RM-07A: 7:30pm to 9:00pm Monday, August 20, 2018 Directions: HSSL - RM-07A: Redpath Library Building, Main floor To cancel this booking visit: https://libraryrooms.mcgill.ca/equipment/cancel?id=cs_VpAp2tx

McGill Library 当然还有一些特别的通知。

I would like to welcome you all to the new academic year. There is a special energy that fills our campuses at the start of the fall semester.  The coming months will be filled with your ideas and projects, and I am excited to learn about them.

Even as the semester gets busy, I encourage each of you—whether you are new to McGill or a long-time member of our community—to make time to explore our University and discover everything it has to offer. Whether you are interested in sports or science, music or medicine, there is always something inspiring, thought-provoking or simply fun to do at McGill. Like our wonderful home city of Montreal, McGill’s campuses abound with talented, creative people who are doing amazing things. Please support them.

I look forward to our working together as a community. If you have any thoughts to share throughout the year, you can reach me at XXX@mcgill.ca. Welcome back! 以上皆为玩笑，作为加拿大本科教育第一名校（约等于加拿大的清华北大吧），对于好学生当然有更高的要求和更好的福利。

MCGILL HONORARY DEGREES

还有发布学生希望的放假信息…

可见，邮箱真的是渗透到了麦基大学生活的方方面面，有着举足轻重的作用。因为邮箱，同学养成了查邮件的习惯，发邮件当然也就变得理所当然了：在我们实验室里，一些重要信息的发布都是通过邮件列表，这在之后的文章里再说。

与麦基相比，交大学生一般没有使用校园邮箱的习惯。我觉得一方面是因为没有校规规定重要的信息需要通过邮件发送，另一方面是交大的邮箱系统真是…不知道招标给了一个什么不知名的公司做的系统，用起来太扎心了。倒不如学习McGill，直接使用Outlook作为邮箱程序，同时还可以和Office365打包使用，不能更方便。

交大的通知一般通过QQ群发布，这也有利有弊。利在方便文件传送与存储，弊在消息容易被刷没，而且有些人因为各种各样的原因并不使用QQ。当然，McGill也有自己的Facebook群组，应该可以解决文件相关的问题，只不过我没有加入，不太清楚罢了。