Internet Legal Research Weekly -- April 20, 2008

Welcome to Issue #296 of the Internet Legal Research Weekly, a newsletter that delivers relevant and timely legal research information, and other fun stuff, to your inbox every Sunday. If you like what you read, please forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested, and encourage him or her to do the same! To subscribe, all you have to do is visit Inter Alia and fill out the subscription form -- it's free!

Blawgs of the Week
Here are a few of the great law-related weblogs mentioned on Inter Alia last week:

Over the next few issues I'm continuing a multi-week set of tips on computer security. This week we'll talk about something everyone has to use -- passwords. You'll probably know many of these tips, but a refresher course on passwords is something all of us can use.

-- A strong password mixes numbers, letters and symbols, in random ways. To check the strength of your password, visit the Microsoft Password Checker. If remembering strong passwords is not your strong suit, get a program that will not only generate a great password, it will remember the password for you too. Roboform installs on your web browser so with one click of a button your password is automagically filled in.

-- If you just can't put up with the gibberish of a strong password, try a passphrase instead. A long phrase that no one will guess can be just as strong as a bunch of random letters and numbers. Try "ILoveTheInternetLegalResearchWeekly!" -- it gets a "Best" rating at the MS Password Checker. :-)

-- Never use a weak word -- unless you're using a passphrase, never use a word that can be easily found in any dictionary. And for gosh sakes, don't use "password" -- it's the most common password used!

-- Change your passwords regularly -- if your computer programs don't automatically prompt you, remember to change your passwords ever 30-60 days, to stay one step ahead.

-- Inconsistency is best -- here's one instance where it's better to be random. When you change your password, don't just add a number to the end, or change one letter -- do something completely different.

-- Create a Master Password -- create a password that you can remember, and then combine it with the site you're using. For example, if your master password is Kje45!5, then for your Yahoo mail it can be YaKje45!5hoo! -- or something like that.

-- If you use a shared or office-based computer, don't use the Auto-Complete function to have your browser remember your passwords. In Firefox, you can set a "Master Password" that will protect your other passwords, but Internet Explorer doesn't have this feature.

Do you have a question about searching the Internet or your computer in general? Drop me an e-mail at tom(at)inter-alia(dot)net – I’ll post your question (don’t worry, I won’t use your real name) and try to get an answer for you!

Commonwealth of Australia Consolidated Acts
This is part of the great Australian Legal Information Institute site, with copies of all of the consolidated Commonwealth Acts. You can browse the acts by letter, or browse the database by keyword or name. You'll get the legislative text, and that's it -- but that's really all you need from this site, anyway.

Genetics Home Reference
This is the National Library of Medicine's website for consumer information about genetic conditions and the genes or chromosomes related to those conditions. The site is broken down into six main areas -- Genetic Conditions, Genes, Chromosomes, a Handbook about mutations, testing, research, and other genetic issues, a Glossary, and links to other genetics information and organizations. The site contains information on the genetics of over 250 health conditions, diseases, and syndromes.

Guide to the Alternative Minimum Tax
I probably should have mentioned this site *last* week, before your taxes were due. But this page, part of the Tax Guide for Investors, provides a free online resource on the Alternative Minimum Tax. It's basically a set of articles on various AMT issues, such as the Top 10 Things that Cause AMT Liability, the AMT Capital Loss Trap, Refundable AMT Credit, and more. A good, regularly-updated site to keep handy.

Human Development Reports
Part of the United Nations Development Programme, the goal of the Human Development Reports is to create "an environment where people can develop their full potential and lead productive, creative lives in accord with their needs and interests. Here you'll find a cover page report on Fighting Climate Change, but there are reports on this site relating to a whole bunch of topics, including Knowledge, Survival and Health, Human Rights and Participation, Peace and Personal Security, Gender, Culture, and others.

Whereis
Want to track down the computer where a particular website resides? Just plug in the URL of the site, and you'll get a Google Map that shows the town where the web server is located. Perhaps completely useless, it's still fun to play.

Hang on to your hat when you play Grid16 -- it's 16 different speed and dexterity games that you play just using the arrow keys. What a ride!

Well, that’s it for Issue #296 – I hope you liked it! If you did, pass this along to anyone you think might be interested, and encourage him or her to subscribe. Also, feel free to drop me an e-mail any time if you have questions, or if you have websites or other topics you want included in a future issue.

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Questions? New websites? Just want to talk? Send me an e-mail at tom(at)inter-alia(dot)net.