JavaScript can make cookies too!

Not that I'm trying to be stereotypical, but it just so happens that we have some women in the UOCIS department that love to bake cookies...myself included! Well, as a happy coincidence there's a way to make cookies with code. Browser cookies aren't nearly as enticing, but they *are* something worth leaning to make, so I thought I'd guide you to a simple recipe.

When it comes to browsers, cookies get a bad rep. There is a common misconception that cookies can be used to infect your computer with viruses or to steal your information. In reality, cookies are just a small text file that indicate to a source that you have already visited a site so that you don't need to be re-verified. They're a client-server version of the Unix "Magic Cookie" (which is said to be how they got their delectable moniker) containing a domain name that the cookie pertains to, a name-value pair and an expiry date.

Okay, now that you know what they are, you may be tempted to make one! The good news is, it's a relatively easy process in JavaScript. Quirksmode has a great tutorial here. Once you create the cookie, you can just treat it as a string to read in the values. It's a simple and handy item to add to your bag of tricks!


http://www.quirksmode.org/js/cookies.html
http://www.cookiecentral.com/faq/#1.2

WOOT for WICS!

Less than 12 hours on facebook and we have 29 friends! We've got followers on Twitter and a brand new website! Now is a really good time to be a supporter of women in computer science!

If you're eager to attend our events, or if you're just curious about what we're up to, your one-stop update source is the WICS website.
You're also welcome to follow us on Twitter (WICSUO), become a friend on Facebook or read our blog.

If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to send me an email or drop by my office (Deschutes 254). Together, we can make this the best year for WICS so far!

WICS in the 21st Century!

We've come a long way, baby! It used to be that if women wanted to communicate with their female peers, they would have to dial up Ma Bell and wait for a connection, then decipher through the fuzz what their cohort was saying. Even worse, they would have to actually get out of their comfortable chair and hike down the hall in their not-so-sensible heels to grab a colleague's attention. Well, those days are gone! WICS is now on Twitter, Blogger and Facebook, so now we're coming to you INSTANTLY, whenever you need us, with out fear of blisters or corns!