Monday, November 5, 2012

Create & Remember Strong Passwords

A strong password is an important protection. Here are steps you can take to create a strong password. . .
  • Length. Make your passwords long with eight or more characters.


  • Complexity. Include letters, punctuation, symbols, and numbers. Use the entire keyboard, not just the letters and characters you use or see most often. The greater the variety of characters in your password, the better. However, password hacking software automatically checks for common letter-to-symbol conversions, such as changing "and" to "&" or "to" to "2."
  • Variation. To keep strong passwords effective, change them often. Set an automatic reminder for yourself to change your passwords on your email, banking, and credit card websites about every three months.
  • Variety. Don't use the same password for everything. Cybercriminals steal passwords on websites that have very little security, and then they use that same password and username in more secure environments, such as banking websites.

Here are some suggestions that might help you remember it easily:


What to doExample
Start with a sentence or two.Complex passwords are safer.
Remove the spaces between the words in the sentence.Complexpasswordsaresafer.
Turn words into shorthand or intentionally misspell a word.ComplekspasswordsRsafer.
Add length with numbers. Put numbers that are meaningful to you after the sentence.ComplekspasswordsRsafer2011.

Avoid common password pitfalls
Cyber criminals use sophisticated tools that can rapidly decipher passwords.
Avoid creating passwords that use:

  • Dictionary words in any language.
  • Words spelled backwards, common misspellings, and abbreviations.
  • Sequences or repeated characters. Examples: 12345678, 222222, abcdefg, or adjacent letters on your keyboard (qwerty).
  • Personal information. Your name, birthday, driver's license, passport number, or similar information.

Source
    microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/passwords-create.aspx

    Friday, November 2, 2012

    Intro to Game Design

    designing-video-games

    Goal:
    • To plan, design and create a quality video game(s). 


    Software:


    11/2 /12 

    • Read article, "Game Design for Dummies" This is NOT a commentary.") 
    • Preview software for which would work best for your game idea.
    • Preview games . .
      • What makes these games engaging? What is the hook factor? 
      • What is the goal/objective? 
      • Setting? 
      • Characters? 

    Email me, devyn.larson@whcs.org
    • A list of brainstormed game ideas
    • The software you are thinking about using
    11/9/12 

    • Start story boarding your game . . .Paper is in the back by the printer.
      • What is the general goal?
      • Who are the main characters? Bad guys? Good guys?
      • What is the setting? Will it change?
      • How many lives, levels, etc. will there be? Health?
      • Will you have reward objects - extra lives, points, etc. 
      • How will the characters advance through the game? Get from level to level, room to room, world to world?
    • Remember the "Angry Bird" rule . . . Keep it simple and so easy that you can pick it up and play it without a lot of explanation. 
    • When your story board is finished, conference with Mrs. Larson. 
    • Begin learning, exploring the software you will use to create your game. 
      • Youtube
      • Drop Box (Gamemaker) 
      • In software tutorials 
    • Start simple - learn the software, then create your game. You will be a lot less frustrated.




    Thursday, November 1, 2012

    GIMP



    6th Grade Graphics Project - Using GIMP


    Fakebook

    View Fullscreen | Create your own

    Sploder - Online Game Software


    Sploder™ is online game software that allows people to create cool games and publish them on the web. Sploder™ even allows you to easily put Flash games on your site without having to learn Flash.

    Make Your Own Games, Online 
    Sploder™ is a fun game-making toy that allows you to design and publish your own games. Games are published online so everyone can see them, play them, vote, and post comments on them.

    Add Flash to Your Web Site

    Games created in Sploder™ are 100% Flash — a plugin that is on 98% of all computers on the internet. That means you don't need any special software to view fluid-motion, dynamic games, and neither do your friends or family. You can even download your games and post them on your own commercial web site.

    Privacy Options

    You can publish your game privately and e-mail the link to only your closest friends, or just keep it to yourself. Sploder is a Neurofuzzy production.

    Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

    Way to Go Lucy!