For a few hours, users of MSU's Pilot e-mail system had a new option for checking their messages.
A new Web site that will replace the 10-year-old Pilot system was unofficially launched Wednesday afternoon.
A warning was posted on the site after a few hours, telling users it may not be ready for use.
The warning states anyone who tries to convert to the new system, located at http://mail.msu.edu, could encounter problems and might not be able to use MSU e-mail for several weeks.
The site features faster Web-based mail access, a spell check tool and an address book feature.
There is no set date for when the final version of the site will launch.
Rich Wiggins, a senior information technologist in the MSU Computer Center, said no one was supposed to know the Web site existed.
"The plan was and still is to have a few days of pre-release to invite a few folks to test us," he said.
Wiggins said about 25 people have upgraded to the new system, and they will be contacted by the Computer Center to make sure their e-mail is functioning correctly. They have not corrupted the system, he added.
The people who have upgraded now have 52 megabytes of e-mail space, compared to 11 megabytes with the Pilot system. Wiggins said after upgrading, old mail can be stored in the Pilot system, but new mail cannot be received there.
"It's going to be quite awhile before Pilot is phased out," he said.
MSU's Instructional Computing Technology Committee made the decision to switch to the new system last fall, said Danielle DeVoss, a committee member.
But she didn't know the new system was available.
"There are 40,000 students," the American Thought and Language assistant professor said. "Then pack on 1,000 professors and about 1,000 staff members.
"It's going to take a while for everyone to switch over."
She visited the site and was surprised. DeVoss said the committee was looking to launch the system during the last winter break, and then the date was pushed until mid-February.
"All I knew was Telnet was down for one afternoon over Spring Break," she said, browsing through the site.
Studio art sophomore Dylan Weiler, who checks his e-mail about twice a week, said he is not looking forward to using the new system. He's happy with Pilot, he said.
"I haven't had a problem with it," he said. "There's one already in place, it'll just be a hassle for everybody to change."
