People live in an era of social, enterprise-oriented, and increasingly cloud-based technology; a dramatic shift away from stand-alone isolated silos that previously dominated. Computing systems can flourish today only when built to easily exchange data and services. An application that stands alone may provide practical functionality but may not…

An effective systems librarian must understand security vulnerabilities and be proactive in preventing problems. Specifics of future attacks or security challenges cannot possibly be anticipated, but this paper suggests some simple measures that can be taken to make attacks less likely to occur: program the operating system to get automatic…

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, located on the National Naval Medical Center's campus in Bethesda, Maryland, is a medical education and research facility for the nation's military and public health community. In order to support its approximately 7,500 globally distributed users, the university's James A. Zimble Learning…

Discussion of computer-mediated communication focuses on the development of the BITNET computer network. The use of BITNET for interactive messaging, batch file transfer, and electronic mail is described; server programs are explained; and possible future developments of BITNET are discussed. (seven references) (LRW)

Every place has it--coffee shops, bookstores, universities ... and now libraries are offering wireless Internet access too. At the Waterford Township Public Library (Waterford, Michigan), Andrew Mutch created a wide-open wireless network using Public IP open source software. About 20 miles away, at the Novi Public Library (Novi, Michigan), Karen…

Discusses software sharing on computer networks and the need for proper bandwidth; and describes the technology behind FidoNet, a computer network made up of electronic bulletin boards. Network features highlighted include front-end mailers, Zone Mail Hour, Nodelist, NetMail, EchoMail, computer conferences, tosser and scanner programs, and host…

Describes and defines the relationship between and capabilities of World Wide Web (WWW) and Mosaic, a software interface program. The uses of hypertext and hypermedia and possibilities for educational use of Mosaic are mentioned. A sidebar includes information on recommended material on the WWW and Mosaic. (JKP)

This brief article gives a description of the Open Croquet Project and its applications. The project's Web site describes Croquet as a "combination of computer software and network architecture that supports deep collaboration and resource sharing among large numbers of users within the context of a large-scale distributed information system." One…

Securing public access workstations should be a significant part of any library's network and information-security strategy because of the sensitive information patrons enter on these workstations. As the IT manager for the Johnson County Library in Kansas City, Kan., this author is challenged to make sure that thousands of patrons get the access…

Describes spyware, discusses how it gets on a computer. Explains how spyware can be useful for parents, employers, and libraries. Discusses how spyware is more often used for others' gain or for surveillance without notification, how it can go undetected, and how libraries can help keep computers and patrons protected from remote installation of…

Describes libraries' use of the Internet to provide information on their local collections and explains how to provide searchable indexes through the use of WAIS (Wide Area Information Server) software. Highlights include Waisindex; file formats; Waissearch; and accessing WAIS indexes via a gopher, WAIS, or WWW (World Wide Web) server. (LRW)

Discussion of software tools for accessing information on the Internet focuses on the WorldWideWeb (WWW) system, which was developed at the European Particle Physics Laboratory (CERN) in Switzerland to build a worldwide network of hypertext links using available networking technology. Its potential for use with multimedia documents is also…

Describes the development of Usenet, the User's Network, a computer network that distributes group discussions (newsgroups) on different topics. Network News software is described, the rapid growth in popularity and heavy network traffic is discussed, and a hierarchical classification scheme to limit the amount of information for users is…

Explains File Transfer Protocol (FTP), an application software program that allows a user to transfer files from one computer to another. The benefit of the rapid operating speed of FTP is discussed, the use of FTP on microcomputers, minicomputers, and workstations is described, and FTP problems are considered. (four references) (LRW)

Two articles discuss the library hardware marketplace. The first examines the Apple Macintosh in libraries from 1984 to the present, including linking libraries, computers, and endusers over large geographic distances. The second article discusses upgrading components of systems in the IBM compatible, MS-DOS, and Windows environments as costs…