Computing Recent Picks
May 2009
The underlined title links will take you directly to our catalogue.
Some featured items are linked via a book cover to enable you to read more reviews.
The dotCrime manifesto : how to stop Internet crime, by Phillip Hallam-Baker. (2008)"Internet crime keeps getting worse... but it doesn't have to be that way. In this book, Internet security pioneer Phillip Hallam-Baker shows how we can make the Internet far friendlier for honest people - and far less friendly to criminals. The dotCrime Manifesto begins with a revealing new look at the challenge of Internet crime - and a surprising look at today's Internet criminals. You'll discover why the Internet's lack of accountability makes it so vulnerable, and how this can be fixed - technically, politically, and culturally.
Hallam-Baker introduces tactical, short-term measures for countering phishing, botnets, spam, and other forms of Internet crime. Even more important, he presents a comprehensive plan for implementing accountability-driven security infrastructure: a plan that draws on tools that are already available, and rapidly emerging standards and products. The result: a safer Internet that doesn't sacrifice what people value most: power, ubiquity, simplicity, flexibility, or privacy." (Amazon)
How Wikipedia works : and how you can be a part of it, by Phoebe Ayers, Charles Matthews, and Ben Yates. (2008)
"Myxomatosis. The Order of Canada. Noble gas. Catherine de' Medici. The History of Superman? Whether you're doing serious research on the Web or just settling an argument, it's easy to get caught up in Wikipedia's two million articles. And that's not such a bad thing. But how'd all the information get there in the first place? And how can you tell if it's reliable? Or say you want to become a part of Wikipedia and make your own contributions. Where do you begin? In "How Wikipedia Works," you'll learn the skills required to use and contribute to the world's largest reference work - like what constitutes good writing and research and how to work with images and templates. With insight, anecdotes, and tips from three Wikipedia veterans, you'll learn how to: Find information and evaluate the quality and reliability of articles: Contribute to existing articles by copyediting, writing new material, and fact-checking: Add new articles that conform to Wikipedia's guidelines and best practices - so that your hard work won't be deleted..." (Amazon)
The stories of Facebook, YouTube & MySpace : the people, the hype and the deals behind the giants of Web 2.0, by Sarah Lacy. (2008)
"After the dot com crash, many people thought it was the end of the internet era. They were mistaken, as a new wave of internet initiatives have begun, focused on blogging, social networking and file sharing, and dubbed Web 2.0. Many of us are familiar with the sites of Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, but how did these phenomenons begin? And why are they so popular? This book explores the stories behind these sites, quashing the rumours and explaining how these internet giants began. It also uncovers the start-up stories behind Digg, Six Apart, Slide, Founders Fund, Yelp, LinkedIn, Twitter, Ning, and Revision3. These compelling accounts are put together through interviews with the founders of these companies. Author, Sarah Lacy has reported on start-ups and venture capital for Business Week in Silicon Valley for nearly a decade and was one of the only journalists who stayed around after the dot com crash." (Amazon)
Managing online forums : everything you need to know to create and run successful community discussion boards, by Patrick O'Keefe. (2008)
"Every day, millions of users log into their favorite online forums to keep up on the latest trends in music, politics, entertainment, and current events. Each of these communities is led by administrators who must make tough decisions, deal with difficult users and manage the staff. Legal constraints, trolls, and technical issues can all turn the excitement of running an online community into chaos. With the right guidance, however, running forums can be a pleasure, not a chore. Patrick O’Keefe has spent years developing and managing his own online communities. Now, he shows readers how they can make their lives easier by making the right decisions about every aspect of their forums. From developing their site to choosing the right employees, Managing Online Forums is the one book that shows site administrators how to create a safe, entertaining, and informative community that users will return to again and again." (Amazon)
Googling security : how much does Google know about you?, by Greg Conti. (2009)
"When you use Google's "free" services, you pay, big time - with personal information about yourself. Google is making a fortune on what it knows about you... and you may be shocked by just how much Google does know. Googling Security is the first book to reveal how Google's vast information stockpiles could be used against you or your business - and what you can do to protect yourself. Unlike other books on Google hacking, this book covers information you disclose when using all of Google's top applications, not just what savvy users can retrieve via Google's search results. West Point computer science professor Greg Conti reveals the privacy implications of Gmail, Google Maps, Google Talk, Google Groups, Google Alerts, Google's new mobile applications, and more. Drawing on his own advanced security research, Conti shows how Google's databases can be used by others with bad intent, even if Google succeeds in its pledge of "don't be evil."" (Amazon)
Web sites for dummies : do-it-yourself, by Janine Warner.
Mastering SQL server 2008, by Michael Lee, Gentry Bieker.
Photoshop CS4 workflow : the digital photographer's guide, by Tim Grey.
Manage your life with Outlook for dummies, by Greg Harvey.
Introducing Maya 2009, by Dariush Derakhshani.
iPhone for dummies, by Edward C. Baig and Bob LeVitus.
Read the latest computer articles online for free!
The Best Free Stuff You've Never Heard Of. (cover story) PC World; May2009, Vol. 27 Issue 5, p60-70, 9p.
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