Source of the Week: Cyberinfrastructure Vision for 21st Century Discovery

This report from the National Science Foundation describes "the various challenges and opportunities in the complementary areas that make up cyberinfrastructure: computing systems, data, information resources, networking, digitally enabled-sensors, instruments, virtual organizations, and observatories, along with an interoperable suite of software services and tools. This technology is complemented by the interdisciplinary teams of professionals that are responsible for its development, deployment and its use in transformative approaches to scientific and engineering discovery and learning. The vision also includes attention to the educational and workforce initiatives necessary for both the creation and effective use of cyberinfrastructure." Read more...>>

Creating the Perfect Password

Some of us here at the library were just discussing (read: complaining about) websites' rules for creating a password. It seems that every time we create an account somewhere new, there is a longer list of requirements... For example, I recently visited a site that required your password to be a minimum of 8 characters, containing at least 2 numbers (which could not be at the beginning or end) and at least one capital letter. It just seemed a bit ridiculous and overly-complicated, until I came across this article.

As more and more personal information goes online, this serves as a good little reminder that though we may be becoming more comfortable putting ourselves out there into the virtual world, we still need to remember to proceed with some caution.