Brute Force Vulnerability Discovery

A bunch of books dropped into the book drop, through the return slot (amazing enough in this age and joyful because my nostalgic Luddite long term environmentally-sound storage loving self likes the clunk the books make as they go in).  As is my wont I check them over to make sure they don't need repair work done (no soddering irons required) and check titles for things of interest.  Fuzzing!?  What **&^ is Fuzzing.  Has it to do with the fuzzy bear on the cover?  Of course it does, because as I have know since I was small Fuzzy wazzy was a bear, and it turns out Fuzzy wazzy is now clogging up computer programs with with his fuzz (much random data - not to be confused the BIG data) to see when they will crash.  It is a brute force test, looking for the vulnerable bits, don't you know.  Though I am quite sure the grizzly on the book cover is really only interesting in catching that salmon jumping toward his open maw - no brute force required, just intelligent placement.

Fuzzing: Brute Force Venerability Discovery.

One ping only

In the summer our library changed from Meebo (which had been successful and therefore sold and put to death) to LibraryH3lp for use as our online reference interface.  I miss Meebo's calming blue colours, LibraryH3lp is elblanco boring.  I miss the squishablity of the conversation windows that allowed me to put my conversations 'down' out of sight if the conversation has paused or stopped.  But what I missed most about Meebo was the comforting little 'pong' it made when letting me know someone was calling.  LibraryH3lp screeched.  It was painful.  It was frightening.  I had to turn my speaker way down.

Then one coffee break not too long ago I popped over to another branch and was talking to a co-worker who was doing online reference.  Screeeeech.  "Oh," she said, "my submarine is calling.  And there I was, suddenly on the bridge of the Red October, with Sean Connery asking me for 'One ping, one ping only.'  I have turned my speaker back up a bit.  And I am happy.