Web Development

The class of Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities is the most prevalent security problem in the field of Web applications. One of the main attack vectors used in connection with XSS is session hijacking via session identifier theft. While session hijacking is a client-side attack, the actual vulnerability resides on the server-side and, thus, has to be handled by the website's operator. In consequence, if the operator fails to address XSS, the application's users are defenseless against session hijacking attacks.

In this paper we present SessionShield, a lightweight client-side protection mechanism against session hijacking that allows users to protect themselves even if a vulnerable website's operator neglects to mitigate existing XSS problems.
SessionShield is based on the observation that session identifier values are not used by legitimate
client-side scripts and, thus, need not to be available to the scripting languages running in the browser. Our system requires no training period and imposes negligible overhead to the browser, therefore, making it ideal for desktop and mobile systems.

This study reports on the searching strategies developed by students to solve information problems using the Internet. A case study was organized in which 107 students aged 19-21 of the Department of Educational Sciences and Early Childhood Education of the University of Patras participated. The complexity of the search engine queries was investigated (length of the queries, frequency of the logical operators, efficacy and effectiveness of the search processes). Lastly, an investigation was done on the correlations between the degree of expressed self effectiveness concerning the computer self efficacy and the effectiveness of the search process developed. The results showed a significant difference between the search strategies used according to the student’s experiences.

Abstract:   
In this report, we summarize the state of the art of web archiving in relationship to researchers and research needs. This is a different focus than much of the earlier work in this area, including the JISC PoWR report which focused on institutional strategies for archiving web resources (JISC, 2008). It is important to note that this report focuses on the uses and needs of individual researchers. Research groups are also important, as some of the challenges that face individual researchers can quickly spiral into deeply complex tangles when dealing with collaboratories. For instance, national selection policies and national copyright rules can stand in the way of international projects, even if there are sound academic reasons to pursue international collaboration. While these issues are addressed here when appropriate, the bulk of the report focuses on individual researchers and institutions.

Keywords: Web Archives, Internet, Web, Preservatio

One of the hottest and most discussed topics by people involved in the security testing field is this: Should security testing be based on automatic or manual methods? However, what is the truth about using these tools to detect vulnerabilities in systems, networks or applications? Can these tools help an organization obtain good security results; can they identify weaknesses in order to put in place the required measures/defences to prevent real attacks by potential intruders? Moreover, are these automated efforts enough to accomplish the objective of detecting real vulnerabilities? In this article, we will cover some aspects of web application security testing, and we will see how manual testing could be an essential element, working alongside automated testing procedures to reduce false-positives, leading to defining real vulnerabilities better, which will ultimately lead to a significant impact on the overall security of the organization in question.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the liaison model in academic librarianship has developed around three roles: reference services, instructional services and collection development, collection management being the core around which the other two roles are organised. This liaison model of academic librarianship is closely tied to the model of the academic library as the gateway to the collection and hence to the knowledge encoded within it. However, these explicit functional roles (reference, instruction, collection) mask a communicational role which is likely to be of far greater importance going forward: relationship building. The building of relationships is the nexus or linking principle of an engagement model. The engagement model enables an emerging field of practice to be recognised, whereby those engaged in liaison may develop their roles through an ever-deepening engagement with learning practices at several levels: the development of academic learning, teaching and research; organisational learning and organisational development; and institutional learning and institutional development. The practical implications of an engagement model for higher education institutions are explored, from the perspective of the University of Westminster.

We examine two approaches for evaluating category membership within an information taxonomy: card sorting and a simple statistical approach based on the word frequencies of content items. To assess these two approaches, we used card sorting methods to develop a category structure for a web site. Metrics from the card sorting were obtained to predict problematic tasks. Potentially problematic tasks were also identified using word frequencies of the content items under each category. We then conducted a web navigation study to compare actual user performance of tasks identified by the two approaches. Despite its simplicity, the word-based statistical approach produced marginally better predictions. In particular, it predicted problematic tasks that took nearly twice as much time on average to complete than the remaining tasks in the web navigation study. We review these results and discuss the general usefulness of card sorting and word-based statistics for designing information taxonomies such as those used in web sites and menu systems.

Purpose – Development of library digital initiatives increasingly requires integration of new technologies and collaboration between staff to accomplish specialized responsibilities. Yet, as responsibilities have evolved, the software tools used to fulfill them have largely failed to keep pace. This paper aims to show how UNLV Libraries overcame these challenges by developing a collaborative workflow model in a team with mixed technical skills.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper offers a case study of one library's effort to transform inefficient web development processes in the digital library unit into an agile, collaborative team workflow through the development of a tool (dmBridge) that helps to reduce redundancies and encourage cooperation in the digital library design process.

Findings – dmBridge came about in response to the growing necessity to create a sustainable digital library workflow within a framework capable of accommodating advanced customizability and relatively simple web development for CONTENTdm digital collections.

Practical implications – As libraries seek to extend technology and digitization partnerships and cultivate successful grant funding, the authors demonstrate how development of tools like dmBridge can deliver an improved user experience, boost project efficiency, and support the strategic goals of the institution.

Originality/value – dmBridge fills a need for a more modern, feature-rich, customizable digital collections framework. In doing so, it has brought about a considerable transformation in digitization projects workflow and resource provisioning.

Purpose- The main purpose of this study is to evaluate and examine the similarities and differences in the application of web 2.0 technologies in selected Indian libraries. (IIT’s, IIM’s, National Law schools).The objectives of this study to identify various web 2.0 technology applications, to libraries and information centers, to determine the use and application of web 2.0 in the context of library 2.0 across the India.
Methodology- The study used Content analysis was used in terms of quantitative approach. A checklist as the main study instrument was developed based on other checklists and questionnaires, and synthesized ideas from literature.
Findings: 25% of selected Indian libraries deployed one or more web 2.0 technologies. Out of 28 selected Indian libraries, 3 libraries are using web 2.0 technologies with application index of 34.8 and mean 1.21 web 2.0 tools. Out of 3 libraries are using RSS with percentages of 75% Web 2.0 technologies and blog used only one library with percentages of 25%.
Keywords: Worldwide web, Communications technologies, India, Institution libraries, National law libraries, law school libraries, Management libraries
Paper type: Project paper

Em uma época em que as pessoas necessitam processar mais informação para desempenhar suas tarefas em menos tempo, novos desafios surgem para os engenheiros de software: como reduzir a necessidade de interações explícitas dos usuários com a aplicação a fim de obterem o que precisam? Como fornecer aos usuários somente as informações que lhes são relevantes em um dado momento? Como adaptar as aplicações aos diferentes dispositivos que apoiam os usuários na execução de suas tarefas? Essas e outras questões têm levado ao desenvolvimento dos Sistemas Sensíveis ao Contexto (SSCs), os quais são capazes de adaptar suas operações com o intuito de melhorar a usabilidade e eficiência usando informações extraídas do ambiente em que operam. O desenvolvimento de SSCs, no entanto, não é uma tarefa trivial, principalmente devido à necessidade de manipular fontes heterogêneas para aquisição das informações contextuais para uso na aplicação. Neste sentido, este minicurso apresenta os conceitos relacionados ao desenvolvimento de SSCs a partir de uma perspectiva orientada a serviços.

Giannakoulopoulos, Andreas P. (2006) “Accessibility in senior-oriented websites: a comparative study”, in Patesson R. (ed.), ENJEUX ET USAGES DES TIC: Reliance sociale & insertion professionnelle, EUTIC 2006, September 13-15, 2006 – Brussels, Belgium (pp. 143-153).

Museums have been discovering the Internet over the past few years like many other information provision sectors. Rather uniquely, they span both educational and commercial sectors, with a concentration of the original object even in this virtual world. The author has set up and developed the Virtual Library museums pages (VLmp) since 1994, an online international distributed museum directory. This is part of the WWW Virtual Library and is also supported by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). The directory is probably still the foremost such resource, but commercial pressures are building, and the resource must develop to ensure its long-term future. This paper explores the important developments so far, the current situation especially with regard to automatically collected virtual visitor statistics, and possible future directions for the VLmp directory and related resources.

The Internet certainly is full of a lot of rubbish, but the same can be said of the physical world. However, museums act as repositories of objects and associated information (sometimes grandly known as "metadata" for virtual objects in the world of information technology) which are worth saving for posterity. The role of the curator is to judge which artefacts are worth saving and then to preserve and, if possible, to display them in some form. Thus most museums are in the position of having a collection of interesting objects and information (both written and mental) worthy of presentation on-line for educational, research, and even entertainment and money-making purposes. Many organizations have no such resources. The problem of course is overcoming the barriers of the presentation technology, which may be problematic due to lack of expertise or lack of funds.

Web sites are increasingly adapted towards their users by a variety of dynamic techniques, providing improved personalization for the individual. In this paper we discuss various possible approaches from a museological as well as a technical point of view. A number of Web sites, some produced by museums and some in other fields such as e-commerce or Internet based information services, will be considered as case studies. All use personalization techniques in ways that could be beneficial also for the cultural sector. Other possible applications such as audio guides or interactive devices will also be considered, especially with respect to how this technique could help in the personalization of museum Web sites. Currently most museums lag well behind the state of the art with respect to on-line personalization. Perhaps this paper will inspire some museums to add personalization facilities to their Web sites the next time they undertake major updates.

Keywords: Personalization, customization, adaptivity, adaptability, museums, Web sites.

I want freedom for the full expression on my personality.
- Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)

BeepBeep is a lightweight runtime monitor for Ajax web applications. Interface specifications are expressed internally in an extension of LTL with first-order quantification; they can be transparently enforced on the client side using a small and invisible Java applet. Violations of the specification are reported on-the-fly and prevent erroneous or out-of-sequence XML messages from reaching the server.

Vertical handover decision algorithm that is based on user preferences and coupled with Media Independent Handover (MIH) local triggers have not been explored much in the literature. We have developed a comprehensive cross-layer solution, called Vertical Handover Decision (VHOD) approach, which consists of three parts viz. mechanism for collecting and storing user preferences, Vertical Handover Decision (VHOD) algorithm and the MIH Function (MIHF). MIHF triggers the VHOD algorithm which operates on user preferences to issue handover commands to mobility management protocol. VHOD algorithm is an MIH User and therefore needs to subscribe events and configure thresholds for receiving triggers from MIHF. In this regard, we have performed experiments in WLAN to suggest thresholds for Link Going Down trigger. We have also critically evaluated the handover decision process, proposed Just-in-time interface activation technique, compared our proposed approach with prominent user centric approaches and analyzed our approach from different aspects.

Fr. W. Hasluck and N. Yannopoulos were the pioneers in the study of Ottoman monuments in Thessaly during the first half of the 20th c.  Although they had different starting points and interests, methodology they recognized and argued the distinct elements of the Ottoman period and its monuments. Their research activities and the interpretative approach of the Ottoman culture, proliferation and predominance of Islam, is in proportion to the contemporary interpretation shapes for the culture of previous eras and the evidence of cultural changes. .

This paper analyses the buying behavior of Internet users in two European countries with different cultural backgrounds, Spain and The Netherlands, assessing the influence of online experience factors on the choice of an Internet vendor. The study also identifies and compares the influence of personal and behavioral characteristics on the e-vendor choice.

This work introduces a proposal to capture adaptive navigation
characteristics of a Web Application in the Requirement
Specification stage. Tasks that users must be able to achieve are
identified and described, considering the navigational adaptations
that are needed to fulfill them. By applying a given code
generation strategy, it is possible to obtain fully operative
prototypes of the adaptive web application from its requirements'
specification.

This work presents an approach for specifying the navigational characteristics of Adaptive Hypermedia Systems, providing the conceptual primitives of a pre-existing Navigational Model with adaptive navigational properties. These properties allow managing the accessibility and order of the modelled navigational paths according to the characteristics of the user. Values of these properties define the navigational alternatives that modelled application offers to the different kinds of users. The effects of the introduced properties on the final Web application are shown by means of an example of use. This work is part of a global proposal for Adaptive Web Systems modelling, in the context of the OOWS approach.

This thesis presents the concept of GURÓ (Grid Utilization in e-Learning Objects), which allows the idea of e-learning techniques that utilize learning objects (e.g., curriculum or instructional contents, multimedia contents, learners and teachers) in the context of Grid computing technology. E-learning can be freely described as a wide collection of applications and processes, which uses available electronic media to bring education and training. With its rising recognition as an ever-present mode of instruction and interaction in the academic and business world, the need for a scalable and sensible model is becoming important. In this paper, GURÓ was introduced; a framework that utilizes Grid technology as platform of Learning objects. GURÓ aspires to distinguish the key enablers in a practical grid-based e-learning environment and to reduce technological reworking by proposing a well-defined interaction design among currently available tools and technologies. In this thesis, it defined a dichotomy with e-learning particular application layers on top and grid-based support layers below. This will also show a very useful and helpful approach for enabling the education sector boost in the Philippines. The model still requires an efficient solution to integrate with sharable and collaboration contents of each diverse e-Learning platform, so in this thesis an integration solution is proposed to answer the difficulty across the e-Learning platforms by utilizing grid service technology and grid architecture.

In this thesis, Grid Utilization in Learning Objects (GURÓ) solves the problem in learning resources integration on each varied learning management system. Users or learners could send an e-Learning request through a unified Web interface, create a service vigorously and dynamically, learning content presentation and a safety run-time environment was provided.

Utilizing the standard toolkits was used to generate and access the learning objects. Grid services were used to integrate the learning objects among the various systems and manage the available resources in the grid environment. When learners or users proposed a request, system can allocate distributed resources to build a safe e-Learning grid environment. In addition, grid services were open protocols and standards based, in order that the distributed various resources could be integrated efficiently. Utilizing the grid computing technology ideas strengthen the capabilities and flexibilities of the learning objects in e-Learning environment or the so-called distance education. Magnificent advances in ICT technology and the evolution of the Internet or web have directed to new styles and approaches in learning and training which are condensed under the term e-Learning. Enabling the concept of learning objects in the e-Learning setting in the context of Grid technology with the utilization of Next Generation Internet or the Web 2.0 will prompt this thesis to demonstrate the usefulness of e-Learning in the Philippine society. Again, this thesis will present and explain what can be expected from e-Learning with the help of learning objects although especially focused on the technological basis, will examine all kinds of requirements for e-Learning environments: academic, functional and non-functional requirements with the advent of Web 2.0. Distance Education plays an essential part in linking the application of e-learning. In whatever circumstances, it can be used in academic courses in the universities or learning institutes or in training courses within the enterprises. e-Learning is a very effective learning method these days. In the other way, conventional and traditional teaching methods, learners must simultaneously and physically present. Dealing with the conventional way, when learning institutions have numerous learners, excessive expenditures of money and time are often necessary and required.

The advantage of Distance Education is that it can solve the problem of geographical location and enable students at remote sites to feel as if they are attending classes in a conventional classroom. Furthermore, it can conserve money and eliminate the time and energy consumed in traveling beyond the boundaries. Although e-Learning has many advantages, its biggest drawback is the required investment in equipment. In order to help more enterprises and schools embrace Electronic Learning, this study adopted Grid Computing technologies to build an e-learning platform that features expandability and resource-sharing capability. In this paper also describes all relevant standards in the field of e-Learning due to its importance for increasing interoperability, cutting costs and gaining acceptance worldwide. In this work of art also will offer cost and benefit analysis for the Philippine government to decide whether Grid computing concepts in the context of e-Learning environment will give them a high level decision to come-up with the implementation of such project, “The utilization of Grid computing in the Philippines: A Cost and Benefit Analysis and Focus on e-Learning Capability”.