Learn More Links for October 2013

Two courses I was fortunate enough to be asked to create for Lynda.com. However, you have to pay to use their service. It happens to be amazingly worthwhile to subscribe to their service, given how much training they offer. I did try to include lots of material not found elsewhere online on the topic of coding HTML email, for example, creating templates in WordPress and Expression Engine to auto-generate emails and how to design text emails.
http://www.lynda.com/Business-Online-Marketing-SEO-tutorials/Creating-an-HTML-Email-Newsletter/94626-2.html
http://www.lynda.com/Business-Online-Marketing-SEO-tutorials/Effective-HTML-Email-and-Newsletters/76981-2.html
http://www.lynda.com/Tim-Slavin/850027-1.html

Add a Background Image to Your Email in Two Simple Steps

http://www.campaignmonitor.com/blog/post/3170/adding-background-images-to-your-email-in-two-simple-steps/

Optimizing Your Email for Mobile Devices with the @media Query

http://www.campaignmonitor.com/blog/post/3163/optimizing-your-emails-for-mobile-devices-with-media/

Join Me Sample Email

A random HTML email I saved then cleaned up. The code may or may not follow every rule in this article. Therefore, it might interest you as a case study. Any HTML email can be saved locally on your computer but they will require time and patience to carefully clean the code.
https://www.kidscodecs.com/files/join-me-email-clean.html

Lorem Ipsum

Based on Cicero’s de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum (The Extremes of Good and Evil), written in 45 BC, this dummy text has been used by printers and publishers since the 1500s.
http://www.lipsum.com
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/29247/29247-h/29247-h.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorem_ipsum

What is an SSL Certificate?

https://www.kidscodecs.com/what-is-an-ssl-certificate/

Data Security is a Classroom Worry, Too

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/business/data-security-is-a-classroom-worry-too.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

What Is SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and What Are SSL Certificates?

https://www.digicert.com/ssl.htm
http://www.digicert.com/ssl-cryptography.htm

Domain Name System (DNS)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_Name_System

SSL Certificate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSL_certificate

Internet Protocol (IP) Address

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_address

Arrays

https://www.kidscodecs.com/arrays/

Lua Tables

http://www.lua.org/pil/2.5.html

PHP Arrays

http://php.net/manual/en/language.types.array.php

Python Dictionaries

http://docs.python.org/2/tutorial/datastructures.html#dictionaries
http://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/datastructures.html#dictionaries

Arrays (in Computer Science)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Array#In_computer_science

Lua

https://www.kidscodecs.com/lua/

Lua

http://www.lua.org/
http://www.lua.org/about.html
http://www.lua.org/pil/

History of Lua

Two presentations describe in detail the evolution of the Lua language.
http://www.lua.org/doc/hopl.pdf (PDF)
http://www.stanford.edu/class/ee380/Abstracts/100310-slides.pdf (PDF)

Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lua_%28programming_language%29

Lua: Really for Beginners

http://lua.gts-stolberg.de/en/index.php?uml=1

Crashing Into Lua

Includes an inline Lua Interpreter to test and adapt code from this tutorial.
http://luatut.com/crash_course.html

Lua, What is Lua? (Stack Overflow)

Among serious comments and insights, apparently Lua means toilet in Hawaiian.
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1274972/lua-what-is-lua

1Password, LastPass, and RoboForm

https://www.kidscodecs.com/1password-lastpass-roboform/

1Password

https://agilebits.com/onepassword

LastPass

https://lastpass.com/

Roboform

http://www.roboform.com/

Password Manager Reviews

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2407168,00.asp
http://www.infoworld.com/d/security/review-7-password-managers-windows-mac-os-x-ios-and-android-189597
http://lifehacker.com/5944969/which-password-manager-is-the-most-secure
http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/quick-guide-to-password-manager-apps/

How I Became a Password Cracker

http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/03/how-i-became-a-password-cracker/

Password Strength: How Strong is Your Password? (Infographic)

http://www.bitrebels.com/technology/password-strength-security-infographic/

Born to be Breached: The Worst Passwords are Still the Most Common

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/11/born-to-be-breached-the-worst-passwords-are-still-the-most-common/

Kill the Password: Why a String of Characters Can’t Protect Us Anymore

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/11/ff-mat-honan-password-hacker/

Why Passwords Have Never Been Weaker — and Crackers Have Never Been Stronger

Probably the best overview of how user-generated passwords no longer work. And a cautionary tale for people who use 12345678 as their password (you know who you are).
http://arstechnica.com/security/2012/08/passwords-under-assault/

An Interview with Troy Hunt

https://www.kidscodecs.com/interview-troy-hunt/

Personal Website

http://www.troyhunt.com/

Training Courses on Pluralsight

http://pluralsight.com/training/Authors/Details/troy-hunt
http://pluralsight.com/training/Courses/TableOfContents/hack-yourself-first
http://pluralsight.com/training/Courses/TableOfContents/owasp-top10-aspdotnet-application-security-risks

Of Developers, Security Professionals and Playing Nice Together, an interview with Troy Hunt, on PaulDotCom

http://blip.tv/pauldotcom/interview-with-troy-hunt-episode-339-6618248

Food Security

https://www.kidscodecs.com/food-security/

How Many Calories Do People Consume?

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=how%20many%20calories%20do%20people%20consume%20in%20a%20day%3F
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/facts/question457.htm

What Types of Food Do People Need to Eat?

http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/index.html

How Much Land Can Feed One Person?

https://homeharvest.wordpress.com/2009/04/15/how-much-land-would-you-need-to-feed-yourself/
http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-335/426-335.html
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2007/10/diet-little-meat-more-efficient-many-vegetarian-diets
http://www.cookinggarden.com/grow-garden-vegetables/how-many-acres-of-typical-land-would-it-take-to-grow-enough-vegetables-and-fruit-to-feed-a-person-for-a-year
http://www.off-grid.net/2007/11/16/self-sufficient-veg-whats-achievable/

Three Sisters

http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/3sisters.html

Terra Preta

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_preta

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)s

http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/csa/csa.shtml
http://www.localharvest.org/csa/
http://www.localharvest.org/search.jsp

Hydroponics

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroponics
http://sustainablog.org/2012/10/hydroponic-garden-sustainable/
http://www.gardenguides.com/120544-start-hydroponic-farm.html
http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/vista/html_pubs/hydro/hydrotoc.html
http://www.naturalstandard.org/demo/demo-eg-hydroponicfarming.asp

Disney’s Living with the Land Ride

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/epcot/living-with-the-land/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAnyLvQXmm8

Potato Recipes

Potato Pancakes
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Potato-Pancakes/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=potato%20pancakes&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page
Potato Salad
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sweet-Potato-Potato-Salad/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=potato%20salad&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe
Potato Soup
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Potato-Soup/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=potato%20soup&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe

General Mills, Count Chocula, and Monster-Themed Cereals

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Mills_monster-themed_breakfast_cereals
http://www.retroist.com/2008/10/29/monster-cereal-fun-facts-and-commercials/
http://www.generalmills.com/Brands/Cereals/Monsters.aspx

Open Source Security for Schools and Students

https://www.kidscodecs.com/open-source-security-for-schools-and-students/

Data Security is a Classroom Worry, Too

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/business/data-security-is-a-classroom-worry-too.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Tim Slavin

Tim is an award-winning writer and technologist who enjoys teaching tech to non-technical people. He has many years experience with web sites and applications in business, technical, and creative roles. He and his wife have two kids, now teenagers, who are mad about video games.

View all posts

Also In The October 2013 Issue

People

An Interview with Troy Hunt

Troy Hunt is a software architect and Microsoft Most Valued Professional (MVP) focusing on security concepts and process improvement in a Fortune 50 company. He's based in Australia.

Notebook

1Password, LastPass, RoboForm

If you use a password you created that is less than eight characters, your password is vulnerable to hacking. Here are three ways to create and use secure passwords online.

Best Practices

How to Write Secure Code

Coding securely doesn't have to kill the joy of programming. In fact, learning how to code securely provides insights into languages and computing.

Projects and Puzzles

How to Code HTML Email

How to code an HTML email like the ones you open every day turns out to be an offbeat software coding challenge.

Concepts

What is an SSL Certificate?

How to tell if a web page is secure is one of the most basic yet least obvious ways to protect your data online.

Best Practices

Where to Find Command Line Interface Software

One key computing skill is the ability to use command line interface (CLI) software to enter commands to control a computer. Here are some options.

Language of the Month

Lua

Lua is a comparatively simple programming language used in a wide range of places, from digital TVs to video games to phone applications. It's also designed to be simple to use and lightweight.

Code Snippets

Arrays

Here is how three programming languages handle a common problem: how do you organize and keep track of useful data?

Notebook

Linux Command List for Command Line Interfaces

Some of the most common commands you'll need for a command line interface (CLI), in a Linux command list.

Computer science education cannot make anybody an expert programmer any more than studying brushes and pigment can make somebody an expert painter.

News Wire

News Wire Stories for October 2013

Must read stories about computer science, software programming, and technology for September 2013.

Learn More Links