Tuesday Buzz: Boost Your Members’ Digital Readiness

These days it feels like nearly everyone is using the internet for nearly everything. But recent research from the Pew Research Center  (opens in a new tab) finds that more than half of American adults hesitate to embrace digital learning.

How can associations help? A recent WBT Systems post  (opens in a new tab) suggests that associations can help members bridge the digital readiness gap, in part because organizations invest a lot of time and money to provide online learning resources.

The post shares a few ways your group can identify where your members fall on the digital readiness spectrum. It also provides suggestions to help members become more comfortable with online learning, including providing technology tutors: “Assign each new member to an ‘ambassador’ or ‘buddy’ who walks them through your association’s online resources, including your website, online community, and learning management system.”

Also, be sure to tout the benefits of online learning by providing members with video testimonials. And address any potential objections they may have, including lack of time and fears of needing help or falling behind.

Regrets, He Has a Few

A message from the man who wrote those infuriating password rules: I got it wr0#ghttps://t.co/rNIZjDg8vM  (opens in a new tab)

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) August 8, 2017  (opens in a new tab)

Have you ever suspected that creating overly complicated passwords was unnecessary to protect your accounts? Turns out you may be right.

Bill Burr, the man who literally wrote the manual on password management, confessed to The Wall Street Journal  (opens in a new tab) that he was off the mark about many of the password guidelines when he worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Burr recommended that people change their passwords every 90 days, but that doesn’t work if you make only a tiny tweak. “Changing Pa55word!1 to Pa55word!2 doesn’t keep the hackers at bay,” writes Robert McMillan.

And the rule about using passwords with numbers, letters, and special characters doesn’t add protection; it just makes usability more difficult.

So, what are the new recommendations? NIST says that long, easily remembered pass phrases are better than “crazy characters.”

Other Links of Note

Should you use AI matchmaking at your next event? Meetings designer and facilitator Adrian Segar explains why he’s a skeptic  (opens in a new tab).

Take control of your message. Capterra’s Nonprofit Technology Blog reveals why your organization must have a blog  (opens in a new tab).

Infographic of the day. Discover the 10 must-have features for welcome emails  (opens in a new tab), according to Campaign Monitor.

(iStock/Thinkstock)