[LUGSB] Blackboard Javascript bug on Linux workaround

[Jonathan Dehan]

Actually I talked to the guys who implement and support all the campus
software. They said they tried to replace both blackboard and solar numerous
times, but it always got shot down from higher ups who were friends with the
original authors of the software (at least solar, dunno bout blackboard). In
addition, there are newer versions of blackboard that work better than the
current one the campus is using. Check cmu.blackboard.edu for an example of
a nice, working package. http://moodle.org/ is an open source school
management system that also works quite well.

- Jdehan

On Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 4:52 PM, John Zabroski <johnzabroski at yahoo.com>
wrote:

> Better idea: Just add it to the bookmark toolbar in FF/IW as a
> bookmarklet/scriptlet.  No need to type it into the location bar.  Just
> click it when you need to.
>
> Even better would probably be a greasemonkey script :D
>
> As an aside, the reason most software is crappy and people pay tremendous
> amounts of money for it is simple: there are no passionate people interested
> in blackboard systems.  There are no uber-smart people who think they can
> turn blackboard systems into an "interesting problem", either.  Once such a
> group of people comes along, other companies might face heavy competition.
>
> But the real thing these companies get paid for is handling data.  Nobody
> in school administration gives a damn about functionality -- they care about
> the data.
>
> *"Michael F. Lamb" <mike at datagrok.org>* wrote:
>
> Hey Linux users,
>
> Recently, when trying to submit files to an "assignment" on Blackboard,
> I get nothing more than a pop-up box "Please enter a valid file [OK]".
> Using Linux, of course, and the problem occurs in both Firefox
> (Iceweasel) and Epiphany for me. Have any of you noticed it as well?
>
> If so, here's one way to get around it:
>
> 1. Right-click on the page with the submission form and "display only this
> frame."
>
> 2. Click "Browse..." as usual and get your file into the box.
>
> 3. Type this into the location bar:
>
> javascript:document.forms.mainForm.add_file.value=
> "Y";document.forms.mainForm.submit();
>
> 4. That should make the file load into the assignment page. At this
> point you can submit the assignment page with the "Submit" button as per
> usual.
>
> I'll spare you my impassioned rant about how stupid it is that so many
> universities pay so unbelievably much for that horrendously crappy
> software.
>
> Enjoy,
> --
> Mike
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