Internet

The Internet Is a Lot Bigger Than Wikipedia

The Internet Is a Lot Bigger Than Wikipedia

“But we need Wikipedia for an overview of the topic!” the students yell from the back of the room.

I mean, sure. I’m a student too and I get it. Wikipedia is a great way to get a very brief overview of the topic and introduce key terms and topics.

You may find, however, that specific Wikis with different content guidelines provide better coverage of your specific topic. For example, individuals interested in sustainability studies may find Appropedia a better resource than Wikipedia. Try searching your general area of study + “wiki” to see if there is a similar online encyclopedia for your topic.

From Ugh, Still Using Wikipedia? These Alternatives Are More Reliable

January 25, 2017 by Internet 0

Internet history is fragile. This archive is making sure it doesn’t disappear

What’s online doesn’t necessarily last forever. Content on the Internet is revised and deleted all the time. Hyperlinks “rot,” and with them goes history, lost in space. With that in mind, Brewster Kahle set out to develop the Internet Archive, a digital library with the mission of preserving all the information on the World Wide Web, for all who wish to explore. Jeffrey Brown reports.

Full story

January 3, 2017 by Archives Internet 0

Australian library releases free, remixable webcomics maker

“Libraries aren’t there to enforce a curriculum: they exist for the whole community to learn and create on their own terms. That’s what makes this comic maker project special: it’s meant to open the doorway to an understanding of ‘digital literacy’ which is not just about consumption; which is open, flexible, and most importantly, capable of surprising us.

From Australian library releases free, remixable webcomics maker / Boing Boing

September 29, 2016 by Internet Librarians Libraries 0

Tracking Excavator: Uncovering Tracking in the Web’s Past

As users browse the web, their browsing behavior may be observed and aggregated by third-party websites (“trackers”) that they don’t visit directly. These trackers are generally embedded by host websites in the form of advertisements, social media widgets (e.g., the Facebook “Like” button), or web analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics).

Though web tracking and its privacy implications have received much attention in recent years, that attention has come relatively recently in the history of the web and lacks full historical context. In this work, we conduct a longitudinal archaeological study of tracking on the web from 1996 to 2016. Our key insight: that the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine enables a retrospective analysis of properties of the web, even though researchers did not anticipate in advance the need to study these properties over time. We evaluate the potential and limitations of the Wayback Machine for this purpose and offer strategies to overcome several challenges we encountered in relation to using its data to study tracking.

From Tracking Excavator

August 19, 2016 by Internet Privacy 0

Three new e-books written by JK Rowling appear on multiple bookseller websites

Now, three new e-books set in the fantastical world are reportedly set to be release. While Rowling hasn’t officially announced the releases, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and Apple’s US iBook store have all listed three E-Books, written by the author about the world of Harry Potter.

From Harry Potter: Three new e-books written by JK Rowling appear on multiple bookseller websites

August 17, 2016 by Books Internet 0

Too Poor to Afford the Internet

All summer, kids have been hanging out in front of the Morris Park Library in the Bronx, before opening hours and after closing. They bring their computers to pick up the Wi-Fi signal that is leaking out of the building, because they can’t afford internet access at home. They’re there during the school year, too, even during the winter — it’s the only way they can complete their online math homework.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/12/opinion/too-poor-to-afford-the-internet.html?_r=0

August 12, 2016 by Internet 0

Internet post leads to truck loads of library books

Writers from all over the world are donating books to the Greenville Junior/Senior High School Library, which is located 90 miles North East of Chico. Students have been unable to check out books there for over 10 years because budget cuts and staffing issues left the book shelves out dated.

Local writer Margaret Garcia had a dream of re-opening the library, so she posted the school’s situation on her blog. Once the post went viral, writers from all over the world started mailing books to the school.

From Internet post leads to truck loads of library books | ABC10.com

July 28, 2016 by Books Internet Librarians Libraries 0

The Library of Congress Website Suffers DNS Attack

Story here from FCW.

The Library of Congress was the target of a denial-of-service attack that has knocked out Congress.gov and the U.S. Copyright Office website, and caused outages at other sites hosted by the library.

Library spokesperson Gayle Osterberg told FCW that the DNS attack was launched July 17 and continues to affect library operations, including internal websites and employee email. “The Library is working to maintain access to its online services while ensuring security,” Osterberg said.

There was no information on the source of the attack, which comes just a few days after Carla Hayden was confirmed by the Senate as the Librarian of Congress.

July 19, 2016 by Internet Librarians Libraries 0

Join Me For My IT Security 101 Workshop At Internet Librarian

W14 – IT Security 101
1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Tracy Z Maleeff, Principal, Sherpa Intelligence LLC
Blake Carver, Senior Systems Administrator, LYRASIS
We all know we should use good passwords, keep everything updated, and follow other basic precautions online. Understanding the reasons behind these rules is critical to help us convince ourselves and others that the extra work is indeed worth it. Who are the bad guys? What tools are they using? What are they after? Where are they working? How are they doing it? Why are we all targets? Experienced workshop leaders discuss how to stay safe at the library and at home. They share ways to keep precious data safe inside the library and out—securing your network, website, and PCs—and tools you can teach to patrons in computer classes. They tackle security myths, passwords, tracking, malware, and more. They share a range of tools and techniques, making this session ideal for any library staff.

From Internet Librarian Program for Sunday, October 16, 2016

July 1, 2016 by Internet IT Security in Libraries Librarians Privacy Technology 0

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