Late last night I imported the entire contents, not just the Better Know a Gamer articles. They don’t necessarily stick to the same categories and classifications as the current site, and some of their attached media won’t necessarily work (at one point we had forums, a photoblog, live blogging software, and video storage). Although the majority of the content has been brought over from WinBreak.com, not all of it has. I was in the process of uploading several of the video files when I encountered a series of problems, most likely linked to my internet provider, but I’m a little handcuffed right now. Still, an absoultey massive amount of data has been brought over to NuAngel.net’s website for archival purposes, and soon WinBreak.com will be shut down and will forward here. Thanks for making the transition with us. Now go back and read some of the oldies but goodies!
Tag: NuAngel’s Notes
NuAngel is officially a teenager!
No, not me. I’m closer to thirty than twenty. Rather, my identity on the internet, “NuAngel” is 13 today, officially. I know I used the name other places, like on ICQ (for a few weeks, or maybe even months), but on February 8th, 1999, I officially registered the email address NuAngel@hotmail.com.
I recall using the name on services like ICQ, where you could change your name at will; but the first place where it was registered? As far as I can recall, it was Hotmail. I don’t have any good record, now, but I believe I first registered NuAngel.net somewhere around October of 2000, then let it expire in 2004 or 2005? I can’t go back and check my email for receipts because the email account I had originally registered with has long-since been deleted.
The history of the name was pretty straight forward… I went thorugh that same strange phase every young ‘net user does – trying to develop my identity. Temporary names were Bungeta (don’t ask), Silver DayStar, Silver Scorpion, Silver Stinger – and then Angel came my way. Guardian_Angel lasted for a short run, but at one point I finally settled on being the “New Angel,” as I was replacing someone on a team who had gone by the name “Angel.” But New Angel was too wordy, and I didn’t want to use an underscore in my email address, because nobody knew what it was back then. NuAngel was born. No, at the time, I had no idea another company named NuAngel existed. Still, when it came time to buy a domain, I elected for the .net because it had a nice ring to it – anything else I wanted was available, but I went with this one.
For this “birthday” of sorts, I think I’ll celebrate by going over what I’ve done with this identity. From the original NuAngel’s Helping Hand (which can be seen by looking up NuAngel.net on Archive.org), to 3dfx drivers, to WinBreak.com (stay tuned tonight and tomorrow for updates on that).
Thanks to all of you for your support, and for keeping in contact with me, all these years. It’s becauses of genuine friendships forged in the ether that I still maintain this same identity and use it as often as possible, wherever I can.
You can find me at:
And I’m sure there are many more places I forget about. So look me up, and let’s talk – I always love meeting more and more people, and after 13 years, I hope it’ll only keep getting easier to find me!
How to create strong but easy to remember passwords
Thursdays are the day of the week when I post some personal thought, but this week I’m thinking about passwords, so this will be a bonus “From the Help Desk” tip!
Password policies get out of hand, sometimes. I understand the need to be secure, but I will never understand why we IT nerds make it so difficult for the rest of you. We require your password to be at least 8 characters long. It must meet 3 of the 4 following requirements: 1 (or more) upper case letter, 1 (or more) lower case letter, 1 (or more) special character, and 1 (or more) number. Oh, and it can’t be similar to any of your 25 previously used passwords. It can’t have more than 2 sequential letters or numbers (sorry, ghillieSuit123, you didn’t make the cut!), and if it includes an identifiable portion of your first or last name, it will be rejected. We also lock you out after multiple log-in attempts (to prevent others from “cracking” or “brute forcing” your password by going throug the dictionary one word at a time).
Did you follow all of that? Me neither, and I’m one of those people responsible for making it all up. And that’s my problem with passwords. We make them so insanely complex that everyone needs to write down their passwords. Defeating the entire purpose of the password. Now, it’s true, people think mostly that a slip of paper in a desk drawer isn’t a huge security risk in this day and age. Computer crimes, password theft, etc… it all happens in the ether when groups hack large databases and steal hundreds of thousands of passwords at a time (as was the case very recently at my regional power company). But if you think that nobody would ever try to break in and steal your computer, you’re sadly mistaken. And some may go far enough to look for the passwords to go along with them. These things do still happen.
Or, more likely, it could still just be as simple as a co-worker taking the information and impersonating you on the network and getting you fired. Anything can happen. We want your password to be secure, but I’m on your side: I hate that we make you change them so frequently. If we could trust you to just not give your password out, then you would have one password, and not have to write it down. It’s frustrating. But unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the “password policy” is going to change any time soon.
So here’s what you can do about it. There are some simple services that will help you adhere to password policies in effect where you work. One will help you determine if your password is strong (or generate a strong password for you to use). That site is at HowStrongIsMyPassword.com. A more fun website to see if you’re really safe is HowSecureIsMyPassword.net. This website really entertains me. You can put in your real password and see how long it’s expected that a modern computer would take to crack your password. My “work” password, according to the website, would take 102 million years to “crack” if a hacker were to try some sequential combination of characters (example: a? ab? abc? a-z? ba? bb? bc? and so on, until all possible combinations of letters and numbers, symbols, and numbers are exhausted). While it’s an impressive number, it’s all for naught if somebody can just look on my desk and find my password on a post-it on my monitor.
So just do your part to make your password fun. Most systems, like the computer in your typical office, will gladly accept characters such as spaces and even “!” exlamation marks. I encourage you to write a sentence with your password. Try it! It’s easier to remember, and harder to guess – even if someone knows you. For example, according to HowSecureIsMyPassword.net, it would take 62 sextillion years to crack your password if you made it something as simple to remember as “This is my password!” Another simple password to remember could be “I listened to 45’s growing up!” – not an easy thing to guess, and to crack, it could take 24 duodecillion years! So go on, try it!
I would like to thank DarkMethod45 for sharing “How Secure…” link with me, and inspiring part of this article.
Goodbye, Joe Pa
Alright, this is my personal blog, believe it or not. I try not to get too in your face personal, but today I’m going to. I’m a Penn Stater. A 2007 graduate of a branch campus in Erie, Pennsylvania: The Behrend College. I am a Delta Chi fraternity brother, I bleed Blue and White.
When Joe Paterno lost his position at Penn State, after 61 years with the team, it was no doubt a shock. The man had been coaching at Penn State longer than I’d known what a university even was. When I was learning how to potty like a big boy, Joe Pa was taking Penn State to back-to-back undefeated regular seasons. Too many people used the cliched “evil triumphs when good men do nothing” tag-line in the weeks following the Penn State scandal. While I in no way wish to belittle what happened and what has come forth about Sandusky, but I have been livid since Joe Paterno was dismissed. Penn State asked him to step down from his position in 2004 amid poor performance, and Joe Paterno refused. To be ousted like this? Shameful.
Mike McQueary allegedly witnesses Jerry Sandusky in the locker room with a young man. McQueary tells Paterno. Paterno tells his supervisors. Paterno loses his spot with the team before McQueary. Even if Paterno had gone to the police with what he had been told, at that point, it’s hearsay, inadmissable in court. Paterno had so little to do with the overall case – if and when this whole thing goes to court, Paterno would likely not even be able to be called as a witness! Yet there he was, the man literally bronzed into Penn State’s community, tossed from his position as Head Coach in the middle of the night. With nothing left to fight for or live for, Coach Paterno died from complications due to lung cancer a matter of weeks later.
As a Penn Stater, it hurts. As a Penn Stater, I know a lot of oter Penn Staters. I have snipped just a few comments from friends’ social netorking pages, just to share with you how we feel. After all… We Are… Penn State.
“No one deserves a million dollars just to coach a football team” -Joe Paterno after turning down a coaching offer from the New England Patriots in 1972. Mourning the loss of JoePa has nothing to do with being a Penn State fan, its about celebrating the life of a man that didn’t have a selfish bone in his body. Rest in peace coach, the world has lost a true gentleman.
-Steve S.
Wore my white long sleeve “400 wins” T all day and a PSU ball cap (thanks to the rain)…. while at the grocery store, almost everyone I made eye contact with gave me this look that simply said “I’m sorry” – complete strangers… the cashier asked me some details on his death and shared his sorrow and anger over how his career and life had to end. Joe just brings people together: Penn Staters and Non-Penn Staters alike.
-Heather B.
Penn State Behrend’s flag was at half mass today in honor of Coach.
-Shantel M.
We are a student body. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how many football games we won, or how many students we have. We could have the best program out there, but without the support and pride of our student body, we are no better than any other school. Joe Paterno knew this and strived to make all Penn State students know this, because without us, Penn State becomes just an average state school. I know I speak for Joe Paterno when I say “Fight on State, Fight on.”
RIP Joe Paterno
#PennStatePride
-Derek K.
“‘His life is Penn State through and through,’ Scott Paterno said, speaking of his father in the present tense. ‘He understood that and it never once occurred to him to be bitter toward Penn State.'”
-Adam W., quoting an article featuring Scott Paterno’s words.
Not perfect by any means…but who is? Hopefully his legacy will be remembered more for the good he did than for what he did not do. His debt is paid. May he R.I.P and his family be given the comfort, privacy and respect they need and deserve at this time…
-Eden R.
I don’t want to talk about it. And if you’re from Penn State, you already know what I mean.
-Me, minutes after official sources broke the news of Paterno’s passing.