Maya

Maya
Cyber Defender & Databank Supervisor

Because of her unquenchable thirst for knowledge, Maya started out as a librarian. While she loved her job, she wanted to do more to help protect people.

Since Cyber Villains such as Ms. Information and Elvirus can corrupt websites and the information on them, Maya teaches people to protect themselves by using caution when visiting websites and avoiding sites that are not trustworthy.

Favorite Quote:

Give me a fish and I eat for a day. Teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime
- Chinese Proverb

Favorite Food:

Anything chocolate

Interests:

Browsing bookstores, baking

June 21 2010

Research Tip: Bibliography vs. Works Cited

I thought it was time to blow the dust off this blog topic. Whenever you write a research paper, you will be asked to state exactly where you found your information. This record is called either the Bibliography or the Works Cited page. If all the research you are citing in your paper comes from books, your paper will have a bibliography. This is because the word “bibliography” specifically means “written about books”. If the research comes from several different sources (such as books, documentaries, interviews, etc.), your paper will have a Works Cited page.

It’s just that easy! Or is it? You see, it really depends on what style guidelines you are using to write your paper…

If you are using the Modern Language Association (MLA) guidelines, call your reference page “Works Cited” even if all your research came from books. On the other hand, if you’re using the Chicago Manual of Style, you should title your reference page “Bibliography” no matter what sources you cite.

If you’re not sure what to do, ask your teacher or librarian. They are always fantastic resources when you have a question about research.

posted by Maya
topic: Research Tips

June 8, 2010

Using The Web: Radio Websites

Even though I spend most of my time in the library, I LOVE to listen to music while I work. Time just seems to fly by when I’m rockin’ out to my favorite tunes! Ahem. Sorry. I mean, I find music tends to make work more pleasant. Here are a few music stations to check out.

Let me know if you can think of any other great music sites.

posted by Maya
topic: Using the Web

June 2, 2010

Cyber Terminology: Proxy Server

This is usually the part of the blog where I tell you a fun story to introduce the topic. Maybe I’d share an experience I had. Maybe I’d ask you if you ever did something that involved the subject of the blog. This time, however…I’ve got nothing! I don’t have any funny stories about proxy servers! Sure, I’ve used them (and so have you, more than likely), but they’re just not the sort of thing you notice. Oh well. I guess I should just tell you about them.

A proxy server is a server that has a job to do with the information that travels between a user and other servers on the Internet, just like the mailman who handles your mail before you receive it. This might seem unnecessary, but a proxy server can be very useful for doing all kinds of jobs, particularly for protecting you and your information from cyber threats. For example, some proxy servers protect users’ identities by encrypting their connection. Other proxy servers are used to log people’s Internet usage or block certain Web sites. They can even be used to scan for malware before the data is delivered to the user! No, proxy servers aren’t the most exciting things in the world, but they sure are useful!

posted by Maya
topic: Cyber Terminology