Saturday, February 26, 2011

Lorenz, Joan F.. Click 2: to Your Pathway.

Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc. 2006. c115p. ISBN 978-0-8059-7105-7. $13.00. ISBN 978-1-4349-4980-6. Sony e-Book. $8.00.

Are you always misplacing or forgetting your Internet logins, usernames, ids, and/or passwords? Perhaps you have attempted to keep track of this information, but have failed to find a good way of organizing it? In this computer password logbook and Internet address book, Lorenz, a resident of New Jersey, who has worked for thirty-five years in the food industry, attempts to help you work “smarter, not harder, in your professional” and/or personal lives by creating an “easy-to-access storage place for your passwords” for “computer programs and other things.” (Publisher’s synopsis) Including a brief one-page “don’t and do,” two lined pages for documenting your favorite websites, and a page of suggestions for passwords, this directory is arranged alphabetically. Each lettered section is four pages and consists of variously labeled entries in which you can record the Date, Program, ID, User Name, and/or Password(s). Each lettered section includes four different types of entries. The four types of entries enable you to log the following information by entry:

1. Date, Program, ID, User Name, Password; or
2. Date, Program, Password, Program, Password; or
3. Date, Program, User Name, Password, Password, Password; or
4. Program, Password;

The first and third types of entries are repeated twice per lettered section, whereas the second is featured once and the fourth is reproduced ten times. While this product evidences the author’s thoughtful attempt at helping you stay organized in the computer age, its presentation and design are improvable. Firstly, the multiple types of entries and their purposes may need to be explained in a brief introduction. Secondly, the labels in the entries may need to be revised to better reflect changes in the computer world and on the Internet. Thirdly, all the pages of this directory should be numbered. Only some pages are numbered. All pages of this directory also should be lettered. Only the first pages of lettered sections are lettered. Fourthly, the title and subtitle of this organizer could be better chosen to explicitly set forth its purposes. Finally, this directory ideally should be published as a World Wide Web application, in an expandable, printed format (ex. loose-leaf binder), and/or as downloadable, editable computer applications or documents that can be used on a variety of computers and mobile devices. Whereas some individuals may find this printed organizer helpful, others may not. This product is not recommended for libraries for a variety of reasons, many, but not all, of which are mentioned above. Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book as a member of the Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team. Visit Dorrancebookstore.com to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team. Availability: Amazon.com, Dorrance Bookstore, Sony Reader Store