Monthly Archives: August 2005

How SSL/TLS is broken, socially

Posted on August 20, 2005 by David Megginson

SSL/TLS works pretty well on the technical side, but on the social side, it’s broken, because so many sites (especially small ones) don’t use it, requiring users to send passwords and other private information in the clear. The problem is … Continue reading →

Tagged | 6 Comments

SSL/TLS RSS Challenge

Posted on August 20, 2005 by David Megginson

[Update: more results] [Update: some results left as comments; and more.] Thanks to everyone who posted comments on my Password-Protected RSS challenge three weeks ago. It turned out that the vast majority of feed readers can handle HTTP basic authentication … Continue reading →

Tagged , | 14 Comments

Patents and screwdrivers

Posted on August 8, 2005 by David Megginson

The Wikipedia article on the Robertson screwdriver gives an excellent example of how clumsy use of a patent hurts innovation. The Robertson screw (square hole, slightly tapered) is the best general-purpose screw drive ever designed, and accounts for about 85% … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 10 Comments