Being a Nerd can be a tricky thing. Topics of conversation that excite you tend to make others roll their eyes (or stare at you befuddled) while the very nature of your business lends itself to a total lack of social skills. Socially well adjusted Nerds (aka those that got laid in High School) are few and far between. You’ll probably find them in the consulting arena and/or technical sales game. Their ability to talk shop at various levels lets them flow between different groups (techies, executives, end users) without feeling out of place. This adaptability is a highly regarded quality and rarely found in most IT departments.
Even though I can speak Tech it doesn’t mean that is my default form of communication. Sometimes I need concepts relayed to me in a simpler manner, just to grasp the bigger picture, without getting bogged down in the superfluous details. That’s where RetroHack comes in.
I’ve known RetroHack for many years now and I’ve always been amazed by his ability to take ridiculously complicated technical concepts and relay them in an easy to understand manner. His howto:// series is a friggin’ godsend for those struggling with the technologies covered. Going into enough detail to get the job down, making sure you fully understand the concepts AND injecting a nice dose of mischievous humor, RetroHack takes the terminally boring and makes it completely accessible.
A perfect example would be his article on Password Complexity, a constant battle between security teams and end users, but here he breaks it down in a way that anyone can understand. I don’t think people are ever really explained why passwords are so important. Someone from the IT department just barks at them, with no consideration for their understanding, and then expects their word to be law. Treating people with this lack of respect is a common problem in the IT industry.
Instead RetroHack, takes a different approach. He related passwords to movies, quotes and inside jokes. Not only imparting the real reason for the enforcement of password complexity, but giving you handy tips to make it something meaningful and easy to remember. The networks end up more secure, end users aren’t treated like knuckle dragging, mouth breathers and everyone wins in the end.
If you’re in the IT realm and need something useful yet amusing, I highly recommend swinging by RetroHack for your uber nerd needs.
Disclaimer: I am an admin, editor and co-author of this site, but the content being put out would still rock the casbah without my involvement.
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