San Diego State’s AssociatedStudents has implemented a pilottrial of creating an online databasefor professors to have their syllabiaccessible to students when theybegin registering for classes.

As a student, one of the mostimportant pieces of paper receivedfrom a professor is his or her classsyllabus. This piece of paper speci-

fies class meeting days, office hours,grade requirements and, mostimportantly, exam dates. Thanks toA.S., students are now able to exam-ine the syllabi for potential classesthrough the online database.

Candice Luistro, last year’s VicePresident of University Affairs, wasfirst presented with the idea at an“introduction meeting with the stafffrom Instructional TechnologyServices in summer of 2010,” MinaAzim, the current Vice President ofUniversity Affairs, said.

This idea was then introduced tothe University Affairs Board, whichdecided to implement the trial.Students would be available to havea “better understanding of the strictprerequisites for upper division

courses, the preparation required forclasses in their majors and to searchfor classes with specific characteris-tics,” as written in the proposal byAlex Huddleston and Luistro.

“The pilot system is to ensure thesystem works, is feasible and isaccessible,” Azim said.

With this in mind, students cantake advantage of understandingthe course in a detailed manner,versus a small course description inthe catalog.

“I think the more information stu-dents have regarding what to expectin a class, the better. Current regula-tions require that all syllabi be avail-able, so this is just making that morereadily available,” Professor WilliamSnavely, Director of the School of

Communication and UniversitySenate Chair, said.

The Departments of Economicsand Psychology, plus the liberalstudies major in the Division ofUndergraduate Studies are currentlyimplementing their syllabi throughthe trial.

“If the pilot is successful, studentsshould expect to see all syllabi forundergraduate classes for futuresemesters made … available inspring 2012 when class schedulesare made available for summer andfall 2012,” Azim said.

To see the current database andtest out the system visitlibrary.sdsu.edu/syllabi/. Studentsare encouraged to email Azim atas.vp.univ@sdsu.edu with feedback.

WEDNESDAYDecember 7, 2011volume 97, issue 55

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Connect thedots betweenmultilevelmarketing factand fiction.

B U S I N E SS &F I N A N C E

S C I E N C E & T E C H N O LO GY

“The Internetis one of thefew reallyunregulatedzones left inthe world ...Terrible risksare involvedthere.”

4

Students can check syllabi online

CRIME BEAT

During the past few days, there hasbeen an increase in the number oftransportation-related thefts on andaround campus.

Around midnight on Monday night,a red Micargi single-speed bicycle wastaken from outside Love Library. Thebike was secured with a lock.

Saturday afternoon, a reportingcaller said his or her car had been bro-ken into and several items werestolen. The items included a backpackwith bank statements inside and thecaller’s high school transcript. The carhad reportedly been parked in thesame location for several days.

On Friday afternoon, another bikewas taken from Zura Residence Hall on

ANTONIO ZARAGOZA, PHOTO EDITOR

EElliizzaabbeetthh PPaallaacczzcontributor

Students will be ableto preview class syllabibefore registration.

2

Montezuma Road. The bicycle reportedstolen was a red Fuji, valued at $130.

Last Thursday, two bicycles werestolen from the Geology, Mathematics,Computer Science building, severalhours apart. The first was a white andred Schwinn. The second was a blackSpecialized Hardrock Sport mountainbike with front and rear lights. Anotherbike, a black Schwinn, was stolen fromthe bike rack at the College of ExtendedStudies Thursday afternoon.

Also on Thursday, a motorcycle wasstolen from PS4 on Aztec Circle Drive. Areport was taken and the vehicle wasentered into Stolen Vehicle Services.

Several other incidents occurred thispast week as well.

Around 1 a.m. Monday morning, alarge, intoxicated male was reportedattempting to hug a female in LoveLibrary. The subject was reportedlyvery cooperative as he was escortedout of the library.

Monday evening, a middle-agedHispanic woman was seen onMontezuma Road and Campanile Drive.The subject was reportedly asking forhelp, claiming she was insane. The sub-ject had dark, shoulder-length hair, awhite beanie and a dark blue coat. Shewas taken to Alvarado Hospital MedicalCenter for an evaluation.

Anyone with information regardingthese and other incidents are encour-aged to contact the SDSU PoliceDepartment at 619-594-1991, or atpolice@mail.sdsu.edu.

— Compiled by Senior Staff WriterKevin Smead

Smoke from the brush fire drifted onto Interstate-8. | PETER KLUCH, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The San Diego Fire-RescueDepartment, with the help of theHeartland Fire & RescueDepartment, extinguished a brushfire in a ravine near the intersectionof Alvarado Road and CollegeAvenue at around 4:30 p.m. yester-day afternoon. The SDF-RD reportedstructures vehicles were not in dan-ger because of the fire.

Several San Diego State students

witnessed the fire from outside their apartments.

“My roommate and I walked out-side and the first thing we saw wasash falling all around us. There was ahuge boom of smoke comingtoward us too,” Mikayla Sivner, aFrench junior, said.

The fire, which was contained lessthan 30 minutes after it started,caused the Metropolitan TransitSystem trolley Green Line runningthrough SDSU to temporarily shutdown. The trolley restarted its route atapproximately 5 p.m. after a helicop-ter unit extinguished the flames.

Blaze near SDSUcloses trolley line

HHuuttttoonn MMaarrsshhaallllassistant news editor

D A I L Y A Z T E CWednesday,

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a Texas company, Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing, in a deceptive trade lawsuit this year

Year the first MLM company, the California Vitamin Company, was introduced

Amount of money (in millions) demanded by a group of scammed members of

Number of companies that are members of the Direct Selling Association

Unemployment rate in the U.S. last month, by percent

Unemployment rate in the U.S. in November 2010, by percent

4 How many types of income exist, according to Robert Kiyosaki

72 Percent of adult Americans who would rather work for themselves

Multilevel Marketing

For many, it has become nearlyimpossible to ignore the currenteconomic situation. Times aretough, with a vast number of peopleout of work and underpaid. So, itmay come as no surprise that manypeople have started seeking uncon-ventional ways to maintain a com-fortable living.

A rapidly expanding businessmodel called multilevel marketing,also known as network marketing,has garnered much controversy inrecent years.

WWhhaatt iiss MMLLMM??MLM is a marketing strategy bywhich sales associates receive com-pensation, not only for personalsales but also for the sales ofteam members whom theyhave recruited. Thiscan sometimes cre-ate a downline ofdistributors, aswell as a hierar-chy with multi-ple levels ofcompensation.Typically, sales-people employ rela-tionship referralsand word-of-mouthmarketing to con-duct and expandbusinesses.

MLM was intro-duced in 1945 bythe CaliforniaVitamin Company,later known asNutrilite. Althoughthe strategy haschanged through-out the years, withdifferent companiesoffering uniqueincentives and com-pensation plans, thesame basic princi-ples can be foundin all MLM compa-nies.

Dominique Xardel, a Europeanauthor and marketing professor, saidthere are similarities between directselling and MLM.

According to Xardel, the terms“direct selling” and “network market-ing” refer to a distribution system,while the term multilevel marketingdescribes a compensation plan.

The Direct Selling Associationdefines direct selling as “the sale of aconsumer product or service, per-son-to-person, away from a fixedretail location, marketed throughindependent sales representatives.”

According to the DSA, an enor-mous variety of products and servic-es are available for purchase throughthis business model, although directselling is frequently associated withitems such as cosmetics and well-ness products.

SSuuppppoorrtt ffoorr MMLLMMWhile the basics of MLM are fairlystraightforward, the philosophiesbehind the business model are morecomplex. World-renowned authorof the “Rich Dad Poor Dad” series,Robert Kiyosaki, delves into theworld of MLM in his book “TheBusiness of the 21st Century.”Kiyosaki supports the businessmodel because he believes MLM

directly generates wealth. “Even more important than the

quantity of money you make is thequality of money you make,”Kiyosaki wrote.

This is explained by examining acashflow quadrant, which is comprised of four distinct sources of income.

The “E quadrant,” which repre-sents the employed, is the one inwhich sellers reside. This is oftenconsidered to be the most acceptedway of earning income.

However, according to Kiyosaki,job security is a thing of the past.Therefore, those in the “employed”mindset will never achieve truefinancial freedom, because they willalways work for someone else. Inother words, workers only get paid ifand when they go to work.

The “S quadrant” represents thosewho are self-employed and small-business owners. This includes arange of occupations, from free-lancers to doctors and attorneys.Kiyosaki references a report pub-lished by the U.S. Chamber ofCommerce that found, “Seventy-two

percent of all

a d u l tA m e r i c a n s

would rather work for themselvesthan for a job, and 67 percent thinkabout quitting their jobs regularly orconstantly.”

According to Kiyosaki, while thisquadrant can be financially reward-ing, it frequently binds businessowners with extreme time commit-ments.

The “I quadrant” includes themajority of the population; thosewho are the buyers and makeincome through investments, andfrom purchasing from other quad-rants.

According to Kiyosaki, the “Bquadrant”, which represents big-business owners, is the only way tocreate genuine wealth.

“Wealth is not the same thing asmoney,” he wrote. “Wealth is notmeasured by the size of income.Wealth is measured in time.”

By creating a team of workers, abusiness owner can create assets.Assets generate passive income, thetype of income truly wealthy peopletypically have. Whether or not a big-business owner works on any givenday, the owner still generatesincome because of team efforts.

According to Kiyosaki, one of thegreatest benefits of the MLM busi-ness model is the ability it providesfor individuals to move into the Bquadrant. All associates in legiti-mate MLM companies, regardless oflevel or position, are able to hire a

KKaammbbrraa PPootttteerrstaff writer

Discern criticismfrom intrigue inmultilevel strategies

team of workers, which provides thepotential for enormous financialgrowth. The passive-income poten-tial of MLM constitutes an immenseportion of its popularity.

Some MLM companies offer otherincentives as well, including all-

expense paid vacations and residualincome.

According to Kiyosaki, aside fromthe financial benefits and time free-dom associated with MLM, other

proficiencies includepersonal develop-

ment, real-world businesseducation, a circle offriends with thesame dreams andvalues, leadershipskills, a duplica-ble businessand the powerof creating per-sonal networks.

The successof MLM has

been written about in other publica-tions, such as Forbes, Fortune,Newsweek, TIME, USA Today andThe New York Times.

“Today, network marketing is rec-ognized by many experts andaccomplished business people as

one of the fastest-growing businessmodels in the world,” Kiyosaki wrote.

CCrriittiicciissmm ooff MMLLMMCritics compare the business modelto illegal pyramid, or “Ponzi,”schemes with expensive start-up

costs and emphasis on recruitmentof lower-tiered salespeople, ratherthan actual sales. Many MLMsrequire salespeople to purchase thecompany's products, allowingpotential exploitation of personalrelationships and exaggerated com-pensation schemes.

MLM has also been criticized forimplementing cult-like techniquesin order to enhance member enthu-siasm and devotion to the company.

The U.S. Federal TradeCommission has said people should"steer clear of multilevel marketingplans that pay commissions forrecruiting new distributors. They'reactually illegal pyramid schemes.”

According to writer Scott Allen,the best way to determine if a com-pany is a pyramid scheme is to lookat exactly how the money is made.

“The money is all being made offof signing up other people, with lit-tle or no real product ever beingdelivered,” Allen wrote. “But in spiteof whatever perceptions people mayhave, the fact is that Amway, Excel,PrePaid Legal and many others havesold millions upon millions of dollars

of products to happy cus-tomers, many of

whom are notalso reps.”

“Steer clear of multilevel marketing plans that pay commissions forrecruiting new distributors.They’re actually illegalpyramid schemes.”

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission

THINKSTOCK

MLMs draw working class in tough times

D A I L Y A Z T E CWednesday, December 7, 2011C L A S S I F I E D S 3

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December 7, 2011 S C I E N C E & T E C H N O LO GY4

Difficulty Level: 2 out of 4

Instructions: Complete the gridso each row, column and 3-by-3box (in bold borders) containsevery digit 1 to 9. For strategieson how to solve Sudoku, visitwww.sudokudragon.com

Solutions available online atwww.thedailyaztec.com

©2011, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.

AACCRROOSSSS1 Bar fixture7 Twosome

10 Border Patrolcity of theSouthwest

14 “Affirmative!”16 “Affirmative!”17 “Affirmative!”18 Drill command19 Shiny fabrics20 Hiker’s map,

casually22 Nav. rank23 Times for les

vacances25 Bank products29 Block or stock

suffix30 Oil, informally33 Give or take, e.g.36 Japanese noo-

dle dish37 Zebra on a field38 “It could go

either way”42 Pres. Carter, e.g.43 Snarl noises44 __ Inn45 1975 seminal

green move-ment novel byErnestCallenbach

47 Post-WWIInuclear org.

49 Others, inOaxaca

50 Down Under st.52 Former boomer,

briefly55 Staff sign58 Frankenstein’s

creator60 “The Thorn

Birds,” e.g.63 “Negative!”

65 “Negative!”66 “Negative!”67 Hampers68 Cribbage marker69 Colorful fish

DDOOWWNN1 Ouzo flavoring2 Fictional sales-

man3 Bridge seats4 Devoted5 “Deal!”6 Bandleader Tito7 Excellent, in

modern slang8 Second, e.g.9 “Beetle Bailey”

dog10 Boors11 Thurman of film

12 Director Brooks13 Social worker15 Jazz pianist

Allison21 Carpenter’s tool24 Performed terri-

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short32 Crossed (out)33 Tape, perhaps34 DVD button35 Buzz36 Eastern royal

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tacle48 Come out51 “Stat!” relative52 More cunning53 “Ciao!”54 Rolls rollers56 Short cut57 Shape (up)59 Endure60 Torpedo, or its

launcher61 Yellowfin tuna62 Shooter64 Mattress feature

Solutions available online at www.thedailyaztec.com

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (12/7/11) This year,invest in efficiency. Refine your routine.Plug a financial leak, and conserveresources at home to earn peace of mindand save money. Reward yourself withtime for love, romance and beauty.

To get the advantage, check the day's rating:10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

ARIES (March 21 - April 19) - Today is an 8 -Confirm travel reservations, and set theitinerary. Partners offer the perfect support.Make love a top priority. Express youraffection.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) - Today is a 9 -You're on top of your game and yourintuition is right on target. Take advantageof your newly gained confidence toaccomplish a particular dream.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) - Today is a 6 -The answer you've been looking for getsrevealed. Consult with your team, and setthe structure to grow your harvest.Postpone travel. Power and luck cometomorrow.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) - Today is an 8- There's more money coming your way, ifyou're willing to do the work. You findinspiration in a person or a book from faraway. Love's your motivation.

LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is a 7 -Success is attainable, once you agree onthe course of action. You know what to do.Listen to your heart. A perfectly gorgeousmoment comes out of it.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is an 8 -

A friend's help is appreciated. Your networkis your true wealth. Everything you wantor need can be found there. Shareresources and partnership.

LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) - Today is a 6 -Patience comes in handy, especiallyaround finances. Revise the blueprint(again). There's more work coming alongwith some good recommendations. Stickwith the plan.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) - Today is a 9 -You're getting better with age. The moreyou listen, the farther you'll get. Resist theimpulse to run away. Give it all you've got,if only for love.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) - Today isa 9 - Add a beautiful touch to yourworkplace. Flowers? Your calmingpresence is greatly appreciated. Accept afun challenge. Anything's possible.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) - Today is a9 - Continue to repay obligations. Theperfect solution appears. Get the word outabout it. The competition makes you pickup the pace.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) - Today is a 9- The work's hard, but profitable.Collaboration's a good idea, and there aretalented players in your network. Thiscould even be enjoyable.

PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20) - Today is a 9 -Direct traffic: You know where it needs togo. You've got energy, a positive attitudeand stamina. Use them for your own good(especially in romance). Smile.

©2011, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.

BY NANCY BLACK,TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICESHOROSCOPE

BY THE MEPHAM GROUP,TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICESSUDOKU

BY RICH NORRIS & JOYCE LEWIS,TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICESCROSSWORD

Stories about corporate office data-bases or personal online accountsbeing “hacked” are often addressedin the news, which may leave manywondering what the fuss is all about.

Curtis Sharon, a professor atCuyamaca College specializing indatabases and network security,gave a straightforward definition.

“Hacking is basically getting intoplaces where you are not supposedto be,” he said.

Hacking is not uncommon andhas touched the hard drives of many.

“Many times (hacking) is quite acci-dental,” Sharon said. “You don’t knowyou are doing it. You don’t know youare doing something wrong.”

Accidental hacking can take placewhen people download programssuch as LimeWire that break into asystem to obtain free music down-loads. It can even take place whenpeople connect to one of theirneighbors’ wireless Internet connec-tions. No matter if it is accidental orintentional, hacking is illegal.

However, law enforcement isoften unable to effectively monitorhacking activity and prosecute thecorrect people.

“The Internet is one of the fewreally unregulated zones left in theworld,” Sharon said. “Terrible risks areinvolved there. But at the same time,look at the force it provides forspreading information.”

Society’s reliance on the Internetfor storing and relaying informationpertaining to various aspects of lifedoes not help. However, some basicprecautionary steps can be effectivein keeping prying eyes at bay.

“Taking simple steps to protectyour privacy and recognizing that

privacy is a valuable commodity that,once it’s destroyed, is very difficult toregain,” Sharon said.

He shared a few tips about howInternet users can protect them-selves from online hacking.

First, Sharon suggested the use ofrouters in combination with modems.

Many students rely on their con-nection to San Diego State’s wirelessInternet, which is made incrediblysafe. However, students who live inapartments should purchase a router,which acts as a police force that onlypermits certain people to gain accessto the wireless connection.

“If somebody sitting out in thefront street detects that you have awireless access point, (he or she) canget into your network,” Sharon said.

Whatever activity the hackerengages in, or whatever informationhe or she accesses or posts onlineusing the wireless Internet owner’saccess point, is the owner’s legalresponsibility. This can be preventedby creating a password for personalWi-Fi access.

Sharon also suggested the use ofstronger passwords.

To ensure password protection, hesaid create complex passwords thatare changed often, though he said itcan be “a pain in the neck.” He sug-gested computer users create pass-words that are a minimum of eightcharacters, but 12 are better.

“Every letter, every character thatgoes into the password makes it thatmuch harder to solve in the end,”Sharon said.

Most of the time, passwords caninclude combinations of lower anduppercase letters, special characterssuch as the pound key or percent-age symbol and blank spots usingthe space bar.

He said avoid common wordsbecause of password phishing tac-

tics, such as “dictionary attacks,”which literally entail the hackeropening a dictionary and tryingwords until finding the correct one.

Also, be sure not to use the samepassword for every single computeror online account. Switch them up.

Passwords should not be writtendown. After all, the goal is to makehacking tough, not easy. Sharon alsosaid Internet users should log out ofsites prior to closing the browser,turn off computers not being usedand be cautious of what is postedonline or said in person.

The latter is the most importantrule of al, he said. It applies to any-one who openly shares personalinformation online, but more specif-ically for those using social network-ing sites such as Facebook andTwitter. These accounts are frequenttargets, often loaded with personalinformation.

“We allow complete strangerswith absolutely no interest in ourwell-being to profoundly affect ourlives,” Sharon said about social net-working sites.

He advised users to think beforesharing.

“Never write down (or type) any-thing you do not want someone toread,” he said.

Hackers can take advantage of thisinformation by searching onlinedatabases to discover informationnot only sensitive, but also personal-ly compromising.

Refrain from posting phone num-bers, discussing private information onother friends’ walls and indicating spe-cific locations via check-in features.

Deleting a piece of informationfrom a site is an option, but still notenough.

“Once it is out there electronical-ly, it never ever, ever goes away. Itwill never be gone,” Sharon said.

PLEASE NOTE:The views expressed in the written works of this issue do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.Letters to the editor can be sent to letters@thedailyaztec.com. Story ideas can be sent to tips@thedailyaztec.com.

C O N TAC T :GENERAL INFORMATION

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KATIE FOSTER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

SStteepphhaanniiee SScchhaauueerrstaff writer

Hinder crafty cyber hackers