I haven’t gotten the hang of the blogrolling thing yet, but I’m trying. As a result, I feel that I’m not making regular enough mentions of the blogs and sites I read, enjoy and rely upon. I want to try to make amends by (1) singling them out in individual posts and (2) working on the blogroll thing.
This morning, I was reminded once again about what a great resource Genie Tyburski’s TVC Alert Newsletter is (RSS feed available here). While the newsletter appears on its face to cover legal research issues, it goes way beyond that and brings you tech news, practical computer and Internet tips, great links and tons of other useful info. That’s not surprising, since Genie’s Virtual Chase site has long been the premier resource for annotated links to legal research resources.
Here’s a great example from today’s newsletter:
“PC Tip: What Does That File Do?
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<http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1604484,00.asp>
<http://snipurl.com/6t7u>
(1 Jun) Ever wonder what a file that shows up in your system configuration, running tasks or programs lists (Add/Remove) does? PC Magazine’s tip reveals a simple way to learn about PC files and what they do. If you follow this advice, you can also discover spyware and adware, which resides on your computer but which your anti-virus and anti-spyware software fail to detect.
I used the method described a few days ago to remove spyware that was too new for detection from one of my home machines. While Add/Remove programs seemed to remove the software, it in fact did not. Between searches at Yahoo and Google, I was able to discover what was known about it and where it hid so that I could remove it completely.”
The PC World article she refers to a major find for me, both personally and as the resource I was looking for to mention in an upcoming presentation I’m doing on computer troubleshooting. Being able to understand and evaluate what programs are running on your computer is becoming an essential skill these days. This article is a huge first step in learning what you need to know.
Today’s TVC table of contents gives you an idea of the value you can expect on a daily basis:
“HIGHLIGHTS
** PC Tip: What Does That File Do?
** CNet Tests Automated News
** Yahoo Beta Leaves Adware Up to You
** Google Upgrades Intranet Software
** Hurdles in Digitizing Libraries
** Best of Technology in 2004
** Gimpsy: Search by Activity
** Resources: First Amendment Law”
Highly recommended. It’s rare that a day goes by where I don’t pick up something useful from TVC Alert. I’ve maintained for quite a while now that the websites run by legal librarians (BeSpacific.com, LLRX.com and LawLib Tech are quick illustrations of what I mean) have come to dominate any list of best legal websites. TVC Alert will show you why I’ve come to that conclusion.