The DMZ

A. Hersean

7:24 AM

@nobody In those cases, I remove redundant points from my answer and cite the previous one. If the remaining points are minor or few, I instead comment under the other answer.

MechMK1

7:46 AM

7

Q: Cracking RSA (or other algorithms) manually by a savant

RSA cryptography strength comes from the hardness (or so we believe) of factoring big numbers. For key lengths over 2048 bits, it is infeasible for current or near-future computers to factor those numbers in a reasonable time. But what about the human brain? There are people with remarkable math ...

People really think autists are magic, don't they?

"But look, this guy flew over New York once and memorized every little detail he saw" - Yeah, but so does a camera.

MechMK1

12:37 PM

@FireQuacker I wouldn't give "_______ is racist" too much thought, because you can enter any noun and you'll get hits for it. Sewing is racist, hiking is racist, nature is racist, the weather is racist, cars are racist, math is racist.

In a time where calling something racist is seen as a positive thing by left-leaning groups, people are naturally incentivized to seek racism in everything.

However, I do believe that cost-benefit analysis is somewhat shaky when it comes to certain topics. For example, we could argue that it's more beneficial to let a drug addict die of overdose, than to give them life-saving medication, because it is very likely that the drug addict will not contribute a lot to society going forward. The costs do not outweigh the benefits for society.

Yet, if you ask "Should you give a drug addict, who is about to die from an overdose, a life-saving medicine?", the majority of people would say that that is a positive thing to do.

And racism can indeed play a role here. People are more likely to think more positive about people with whom they identify with, be it because of race, social status, shared experiences, etc. and think less positive about people they fail to identify with (different race, different social status, etc...)

When we hear "racism", we usually get the picture of white people disliking "non-white" people, but racism occurs in every racial group, towards all non-members. I have enough black friends - shocking, I know - who repeatedly speak very badly of white people, indians, chinese, arabs or other asians.

Japanese are well-known for thinking very negatively of non-Japanese, even other asian groups, to which they are more closely related.

In fact, racism in far-east asia is extremely prevalent. Ask any south korean what they think of china, vietnam, japan or mongolia - you won't hear many positive things.

As for InfoSec - the person who said that CBA makes no sense for InfoSec most likely falls prey to the idea of security perfectionism, that no matter the cost, a system or network of systems must be absolutely perfect, no matter the cost.

nobody

@MechMK1 I agree in general, but I can't imagine how math could be racist...

MechMK1

@nobody Because it focusses on "the correct answer" and "invalidates personal opinions"

nobody

So personal opinion can only be held by some particular race?

MechMK1

But that's actually backwards thinking. the real reason is that black students, on average, score worse in math class than white students.

Would you like to know why that is?

I assure you, the answer isn't "because blacks are stupid, duh!"

nobody

@MechMK1 I'd like to know your opinion

MechMK1

12:49 PM

Success in school is tightly tied to the amount of time parents spend with their children learning or otherwise helping them in their education.

And multiple studies have shown that asian parents spend the most time with their children doing homework, followed by white people. Then a large gap, then latinos and then black parents.

nobody

@MechMK1 I can't agree with that

MechMK1

@nobody Don't see that as an individual, but rather as a group

Of course, one student may fail, even if his parents spend every day learning with him, and another may succeed with his parents not caring at all

nobody

@MechMK1 I find it's more about whether the student cares or not

MechMK1

But pick 1000 random students in a control group and have their parents not care at all, and 1000 students in the test group and have the parents help them with homework every day and I assure you that the test group will fare significantly better

@nobody This is a "nature versus nurture" topic, really. But parents, who are willing to spend an hour or two every day, helping their child do homework, are probably also more likely to teach their child how important education is

nobody

Ah, yeah, good point, the parents can make the kids care

MechMK1

12:54 PM

And yes, it is true, even with all the care in the world, some students will fail. And even with none of the parental care, some students will succeed

But on average, the students with caring parents are more likely to succeed

So the real issue, the one that should be tackled, is the question: "Why do so few parents help their children with homework?"

Or rather, why is there such a divide between black/latino and white/asian parents?

nobody

@MechMK1 Well, if the parents aren't educated themselves, how can they help?

MechMK1

That is certainly a factor, yes.

Another may be the job situation

And, especially for black people, also the family situation

A single mother or single father may be less inclined to help their child after working 8-10 hours a day

Among all racial groups in the US, black children are most likely to be born outside marriage. And while that ignores "committed but unmarried" couples, the amount of children growing up in single households varies a lot by race

If you look at it through this lens, you see a wider social issue. Children with parents who are unable to help them in school, which leads to them performing badly in school, not getting a good job themselves, etc...

It's a self-perpetuating cycle, that is difficult to break out of. But I know one thing for sure, and that is calling math "racist" won't help anyone.

In fact, schools which have been found to artificially inflate grades of badly-performing students end up harming those students in the long run.

nobody

@MechMK1 You're wrong, it helps some already privileged people feel superior to others, and helps them signal empty virtue

MechMK1

@nobody Okay, let me rephrase that. "Calling math "racist" won't help failing students."

nobody

1:17 PM

-2

A: No -*|%/ and no whitespace, is this SQL injectable?

Seriously, why even do this :/. The LIT organizers (specifically Eyangch on this challenge) worked so hard to curate a nice and educational sqlite3 injection problem, and you just decide to spoil it for everyone by posting on a public forum? Like what do you even get from this? My disappointment ...

Wow, I'm definitely devastated by the fact that your day was ruined

A. Hersean

1:27 PM

He said that the organization "explicitly prohibited the usage of external help". Why did he come here, then?

MechMK1

1:42 PM

-1

A: What is the problem of using a self signed certificate for a game?

You don't seem to understand the issue with self-signed certificates, so allow me to explain. Generally, when people say "Don't use self-signed certificates!", they mean in the context of a web-server, in which you expect the general public to connect via a web server. In such a situation, if a s...

Mr "nethero" seems like a very...likeable person :D

Fire Quacker

1:59 PM

"not all companies rely on private CA's" - Well, given the number of small companies where IT means talking to the neighbor who knows a bit about computers, yes

MechMK1

I wrote that companies "Usually have a private CA" and he replied "Not all companies rely on private CA's" - those two statements are logically consistent

Fire Quacker

Yup

I once asked a high up guy at an enterprise company if they had a PKI that could be used for an internal web server

Apparently, suggesting that you don't have your own private CA is an insult for that size of company

MechMK1

All companies I've seen internally have used a private CA for internal web servers

With the CA cert rolled out to the clients

Fire Quacker

Isn't it sort of built into ActiveDirectory?

MechMK1

Yes

Which is why I also mentioned this is usually done via AD

nobody

2:45 PM

He's quite a character

MechMK1

I didn't pay much attention to him, for two reasons. First, I was very confident in my answer being correct. Secondly, if his claim of it being incorrect was true, he could have easily demonstrated why it was incorrect.

Instead, first he said it was incorrect, then it was misleading, then it didn't answer the question, etc...

nobody

Apparently, you should have answered something along the lines of "56.139% of all companies (where a company is defined as bla bla bla) have a private CA..."

Since you didn't, it shows you know nothing about PKI

MechMK1

I love how he also talked about public CAs signing other public CAs

Like...dude, how does this even apply here?

"There exists a number between 0 and 1, which describes a fraction of companies, which employ a private Certificate Authority, among all companies; "company" being defined in Appendix B, Chapter 3, Section 3.2"

A. Hersean

I was thinking he was maybe just a troll. Then he commented about "blowing my whistle", and I became even more suspicious because of the double entendre.

Fun fact: "double entendre" is not French, even though both words are.

MechMK1

@A.Hersean I don't think it's necessarily a troll - in the sense of seeking entertainment through malice.

What I find more likely is that it was someone seeking reputation (the social kind, not the SE kind) by saying that someone reputable is actually stupid and doesn't know what they're talking about.

A. Hersean

2:56 PM

He was very bad at it then.

MechMK1

You see this a lot among students. Very early on, they pick a popular thing and say it's the worst shit ever and if you really knew what you were doing, you wouldn't like the thing.

nobody

Thing like blockchain?

MechMK1

Be it IT students talking about an OS developed by people who knew infinitely more about operating systems than them, music students talking about a drummer who played better than they ever will, etc...

@nobody You see, I dislike the blockchain hate. It's a bit like judging a fish on its ability to climb a tree.

Blockchains by themselves are a great solution for a very niche set of problems.

Journeyman Geek

@MechMK1 very few of it which they are actually used for

MechMK1

The hate for blockchains stems from the fact that people, who really have no idea what a blockchain really is, make the weirdest statements like this:

nobody

2:59 PM

Well, I don't hate blockchains, but I do hate self proclaimed block chain experts that are popping up everywhere.

MechMK1

28

Q: Disadvantages of replacing TCP/IP with blockchain

I read this blog (cached version) (and the related cached tweet) about replacing TCP/IP with blockchain. Tweet: The Internet has a serious fundamental flaw: the transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP)—the primary engine underpinning the Internet—is less secure. Is #blockchain th...

tcp blockchain

Journeyman Geek

they seem a very efficient way to ruin the economy of computer hardware :D

MechMK1

@JourneymanGeek I mean, blockchains are effectively just a database

nobody

ineffectively just a database

A. Hersean

@JourneymanGeek Is that a feature?

Journeyman Geek

3:00 PM

@A.Hersean If you sell hardware maybe

MechMK1

And a blockchain makes sense under the following constraints:
1.) You expect users of the database to want to have access to all the data.
2.) None of the users trust each other with modifications of the data.
3.) You cannot agree on a trusted third party.

If any of these constraints are removed, you no longer need a blockchain.

Journeyman Geek

@MechMK1 Our government is using a etherium based blockchain as a method of document verification....

A. Hersean

Hmmm... so blockchain could be a conspiracy from hardware manufacturers...

MechMK1

@JourneymanGeek Why tho?

Journeyman Geek

@MechMK1 no idea

MechMK1

3:01 PM

I think just to say that they use blockchains

Journeyman Geek

I found out cause my covid vax cert was backed by one

MechMK1

I find that weird

Does that mean everyone can query if you're vaccinated or not?

Journeyman Geek

If you had the QR code? I guess?

MechMK1

Because if that's the case, that'd be...fucked up on so many levels

A. Hersean

Is this GDPR complient?

MechMK1

3:03 PM

Regulation General Protection Data?

A. Hersean

That was French

before the edit

Journeyman Geek

@A.Hersean .... no?

MechMK1

Actually? Or just a meme?

Oh yeah, actually

An in-joke was that I've learned more french just from listening to my ex talk with her french friends than she learned german after a year of german class :D

I mean, if the document just has an ID and the only query is "Is the document with the ID 127461294902194012979724 valid?" then I guess that's okay

nobody

@MechMK1 Learning a language through classes is an incredibly difficult task to be fair.

MechMK1

But if I can ask "Is John Doe, SSNR 1234-5678, vaccinated?" then...oh boy oh boy oh boy

@nobody The problem was less the class and more her unwillingness to learn

All the other people in her class spoke german very well. I could hold a discussion with them, provided I didn't speak dialect and took care to speak clearly

But questions like "Which country are you from? How long have you been in Austria? Do you plan to live here or is it just temporarily? Do you have a job? Oh, you're married? What job does your husband have? Do you have children? Is it easier for them to learn German in school?" were no problem

Journeyman Geek

3:08 PM

@MechMK1 more or less "is the holder of this cert verifiably holding this cert"

for basic verification we have a webpage/app thing

MechMK1

@JourneymanGeek So it does include your personal details?

Journeyman Geek

this is a little doc with my passport/travel doc number, name, vaccination type,....

nobody

@MechMK1 Well, I took classes to learn a language once. After 2-ish months, I was just incredibly confused. Maybe I'm stupid, or maybe the particular language I picked was complicated.

Journeyman Geek

@MechMK1 since in theory its meant for immegration folks, yes

MechMK1

I hope the side effects of the vaccination weren't too bad for you

Journeyman Geek

3:09 PM

I'm not sure why, in theory our government agencies share data

@MechMK1 bit of arm pain mostly

MechMK1

Luckily, none of my friends or family had too severe side effects or complications

Journeyman Geek

and mild chills

MechMK1

@nobody It depends - how closely related was the language you tried to learn with your native language?

Journeyman Geek

(Pzifier, which I still can't spell)

Moderna came out afters

MechMK1

Pfizer :D

Journeyman Geek

3:10 PM

If you really insist, you can do sinovac on your own

nobody

@MechMK1 Somewhat related, but not too closely

MechMK1

For example, French and German are still somewhat closely related - as opposed to say, Korean and German

Well, the further they drift apart, the more strange the grammar becomes

Journeyman Geek

(I mean, at your own doctor, not jab yourself)

MechMK1

@JourneymanGeek Not like the dude who stole a vaccine shipment :D

Journeyman Geek

Yanno, tying off your own arm, for some wierd reason and jabbing yourself one handed...

then someone goes "Dude, it an't cocaine!"

MechMK1

3:13 PM

@nobody For example, I noticed that french generally likes the "Noun adjective" construct, like "Règlement général" instead of "adjective noun" like "General Regulation" as is more common in english and german

@JourneymanGeek "Just saw two homeless men under a bridge vaccinating each other. So sweet 💕"

Also...why does french wikipedia look different from english wikipedia?

General Data Protection Regulation

The General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) is a regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA). It also addresses the transfer of personal data outside the EU and EEA areas. The GDPR's primary aim is to enhance individuals' control and rights over their personal data and to simplify the regulatory environment for international business. Superseding the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC, the regulation contains provisions and requirements related to the processing of personal data of individuals (formally called...

Règlement général sur la protection des données

Le règlement UE 2016/679 du Parlement européen et du Conseil du 27 avril 2016 relatif à la protection des personnes physiques à l'égard du traitement des données à caractère personnel et à la libre circulation de ces données, et abrogeant la directive 95/46/CE dit règlement général sur la protection des données (RGPD, ou encore GDPR, de l'anglais General Data Protection Regulation), est un règlement de l'Union européenne qui constitue le texte de référence en matière de protection des données à caractère personnel. Il renforce et unifie la protection des données pour les individus au sein de l...

Journeyman Geek

@MechMK1 meanwhile, we're spassing out over a 180 cases in a day, from a fishery port and a Karaoke lounge

MechMK1

@JourneymanGeek German politicians just did themselves a huge disservice. Flood victims were offered free vaccination in a bus.

Because you know...if I just lost my home, have no idea where to sleep, what to wear and what to eat, vaccination will definitely help me.

Since we're already at controversial topics: What's your opinion towards vaccine coercion?

nobody

@MechMK1 So vaccines are not already free?

MechMK1

As in "Get vaccinated or you'll lose your job / can no longer buy groceries / aren't allowed to leave your house anymore"?

@nobody There exists still some hesitancy among people.

The idea probably was that some people were too lazy to make an appointment or didn't have time

So if you can just do it "on the spot", more people would be inclined to do so

Journeyman Geek

@MechMK1 We're pretty much vaccinating anyone we can at this point

@MechMK1 on the other hand, the second one....

I was kinda told by work "Its voluntery but we really think its a good idea since you work in a high risk area and could get covid"

MechMK1

3:20 PM

@JourneymanGeek I'm not talking about telling people "You should get vaccinated.", but rather "Get vaccinated, or else..."

Journeyman Geek

Then someone did get covid.

@MechMK1 the "or else" was implied

Now my employer is "unless you have an allergy, you get vacced"

also, weekly tests

MechMK1

I don't mind tests

Journeyman Geek

(ART, not PCR)

MechMK1

But what bothers me is coercion, because the vaccine isn't risk-free

Journeyman Geek

so quick swab to the nose, not deepthroating

@MechMK1 Well - most arn't

and we have lots of mass vaccination programs

MechMK1

3:22 PM

So if I am informed about the risks and make a voluntary decision to get vaccinated, then that's fine.

nobody

Not a fan of coercion either, I'm just glad we don't have fines being imposed for not vaccinating yet.

MechMK1

Because if there are side-effects, possibly permanent ones, then I can say I personally agreed to the process, knowing the risks.

Journeyman Geek

@MechMK1 oh here is just a monumental propaganda offensive

MechMK1

But if I was coerced to do so, then someone else decided that I have to take this risk.

Journeyman Geek

But I'm in the "Oh just gimme the damned jab"

I don't really like anti vax people but eh, they're free to catch things and die

MechMK1

3:23 PM

My personal opinion is that the people who yell "You have to get vaccinated, or you'll die!" are just as horrible as those who yell "You must not get vaccinated, or you'll die!"

I think getting vaccinated is a risk, and not getting vaccinated is a risk either. No one knows for certain which risk is bigger.

nobody

@MechMK1 For some people the risk of the latter is obviously bigger

MechMK1

There are people who got COVID and died from it.
There are people who got COVID and didn't even know they had it.
There are people who got vaccinated and died from it.
There are people who got vaccinated and felt fine a day later.

nobody

Got vaccinated and died?

MechMK1

Yes, heart inflammation

A very rare side effect

nobody

Yeah, but for old people, dying from covid is a common side effect

MechMK1

3:27 PM

And saying "It can occur in ~1 out of 1,000,000 cases, with a very low percentage of those cases being lethal" doesn't really help you if your 16 year old just died

@nobody The "dying from COVID" versus "dying with COVID" is another difficult debate

When did someone "die from COVID"?

Can you say someone died from COVID if they had stage 4 lung cancer and had an estimated lifespan of ~2-4 weeks, then tested positively?

nobody

Dunno, everyday

@MechMK1 No

MechMK1

It's hard to say "This person would not have died at this point had they not been infected"

It's an extremely difficult metric

nobody

Shit, lost track of time, gotta do some work within the next ten minutes

MechMK1

And what's worse is that countries use different ways to determine when someone died "from covid"

@nobody Oh dear :D

So one country registering significantly more COVID deaths than a comparable country (similar measures, similar medical care offered, etc...) could be down to a more inclusive methodology.

Several german doctors and nurses said that if a patient was COVID positive at the time of death, they had to be listed as "died from COVID", even if the reason for death was - just to pick an absurd example - delayed organ failure from blunt force trauma from a car accident

And this wasn't done to falsify statistics - this was just how this specific hospital determined when someone "died of COVID"

Since there was no official guideline yet

To summarize my point: Arguing about risk based on data is only as useful as the data sources are, and how comparable these are. Comparing very heterogenous data sources may not yield useful results.

nobody

6:08 PM

32

Q: Landlord penalty for law enforcement calls

The town where we own a rental property had a meeting for landlords (by which I mean owners of rental property) recently. Those who attended reported learning that there are some new laws regarding rental properties: if police are called to the same family's residence 3 times in a year, the land...

united-states rental-property pennsylvania

tf?

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