Don’t get me wrong that I am impatient. Whenever I go onto Hulu or YouTube to watch videos online, I usually wait on average about a minute for only 20 seconds waiting for a video to load. In the worst case, I have waited three minutes for a single buffer bar on a Hulu video to appear when the video is on pause. Once I play that Hulu video, the buffer goes back to the single buffer bar after 10 seconds. Oh and an added side note: Internet speed wasn’t hugely different when using Ethernet and wireless connections.
Big picture: Internet traffic at Drake is so horrible! I am greatly disappointed because there are so many new technological advances available for faster Internet, but for some unexplained reason, Internet traffic on campus is still ridiculously slow. I recognize that there are some factors for Internet speed, such as how many people use the Internet, where on campus you use the Internet, and the broadband width and who uses Facebook, YouTube, Hulu and whatnot.
I also recognize that Drake University isn’t exactly a technology school, meaning that the fastest Internet service is available, but shouldn’t universities utilize the latest technologies to improve learning and accessibility?
I also recognize that there have been slight improvements to the Internet speed over the last year, but the improvement isn’t enough. I have wondered, have the Internet techies considered the evolving media on the Internet?
Have they considered the high rise of high-definition videos on YouTube and news outlets? Have they even considered the number of people attending Drake where using the Internet is now a staple on campus? I feel that they have completely underestimated their efforts of how today’s students rely on the Internet.
While I was waiting for the 240-pixel video on Hulu to buffer, I realized that there was an assignment that I should start working on, so I worked while I waited. Still, it is painfully aggravating to deal with slow Internet while there are other ways to have faster Internet connection and a better Internet experience.
— Jacqueline Ye
Ye can be reached at jacqueline.ye@drake.edu.
