June's 11th Blog 28/8/09

Poxy Servers

A proxy server is a computer that functions as an intermediary between a web browser such as internet explorer and internet proxy servers help improve web performance by storing a copy of frequently used webpapges when a brower requests a wepage stored in a proxy server's collection it is provided by the proxy server. Which is faster than going to the web proxy servers also help improve security by filting out some web content and malicious software.

Proxy serves are used mostly by networks in organizations and companies typically people connecting to the internet from home will not use a proxy server.

Proxy server can be used to hide the identity of someone connected to a server.

The server would see the URL of the proxy server rather than the computer connected to the proxy server.

June's 10th Blog 28/8/09

The Internet and the Law

When you are using the internet you have to remember that there are alot of legal considerations that you have to be aware of and one of the biggest things is Copyright.

Copyright:Rules which we have in place within the libraries

Works in electronic form, you may download or print for the purposes of

• Private study or research for a non- commercial purpose without asking permission from the copyright holder
• when copying from web pages, respect web copyright notices and any copyright statements attached to works.
• unless explicit permission to copy more is given on the website, only single copies may be downloaded and printed
• unless explicit permission is given on the website, copying for research for a commercial purpose is prohibited.
• using material from a subscription data should be governed by contractual conditions
• unless it is impracticable all copies must be acknowledged
• Breaching copyright is a legal offence.

We also have a book on the photocopier that customers are shown so if they are wanting to copy stuff like Birth Certificates, Death Certificates, maps, music and knitting patterns then they are aware of the rules of copyright and that they can only have one copy and state that it is for private and personal use.

Duration of Copyright

• Literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work copyright normally lasts for seventy years.
• Sound recordings and broadcasts, copyright lasts for fifty years
• Films fifty years principal director, author or composer dies.
• When it comes to copying a book one chapter or 5% of extracts
• Journal or periodical one article from any one issue

I think people have to realise that copyright on the internet has the same rules as copyright off it and I think that's how people get themselves in such a mess.

Downloads

Music sites and Videos

It is illegal to download pirated copies of commerical software it is perfectly legal to download various other types of software, for example.

Itunes, Napster, these are sites that you can download music from paying for each track or you can pay for the whole album. There are other sites which have free downloads also.

Data Protection Act 1998

We know in the libraries that Data Protection Act is so important, we store information about people on our computers and that they have a right to know what information is held about them.

• Data must be accurate and up to date
• Data must be stored securely

We have to follow the Data protection Act very strictly in the library as we are holding on to peoples names and address etc. We are not allowed to give out any information to any person that asks for a name or address over the counter.

Even if someone has lost their purse, which happened once in one of the libraries that I worked. I had to make it very clear to the person that handed it over that I wasn't allowed to hand over the persons details as I would be breaking the Data protection Act with my work.

Online Behaviour/Netiquette

Remember that the information that you type on to the internet, either through emails, chat rooms, My space, face books and Bebo stays on the internet stays on the internet for years. And it can be used against you for years to come.

Adhere to the same standards of behaviour online that you follow in real life