5 ms·

Did you reply to the wrong comment?

by ascar 4y ago

hinkley 4y ago
>>> Constant Time Programming Language >> ...cryptographic programming language... > side channel attacks I know what I’m about, son.
- samatman 4y ago
  While that's clear from what you said, I also don't exactly see how it works as a reply to GP. You know the rudeness is against guidelines, as well.
  - hinkley 4y ago
    In some cultures, being asked if you belong here is considered passive aggressive, and in some cultures passive aggressive is the worst form of rude. Tribal knowledge is always a danger. Which part did you guys think I lost the plot? Why code that runs slower is a feature for cryptography? Assuming people know what a side channel attack is? Why the co-creator of one of the longest surviving cipher systems who spent his career breaking other ciphers is relevant background information? Something else? The summary for the linked package is: > This is the compiler for the Flexible and Constant Time cryptographic programming language. FaCT is a domain-specific language that aids you in writing constant-time code for cryptographic routines that need to be free from timing side channels.
    - cole-k 4y ago
      Are you offended that you were asked if you were replying to the wrong comment? I suppose this could be a cultural faux pas - we must be from different cultures. I would also be inclined to ask if you meant to reply to another comment. Let me explain. To me the other option is to say that what you wrote makes no sense and I cannot understand why you wrote it. Asking if you meant to reply to another comment is my way of showing that I don't think you're a crank, but instead you just made a silly mistake any one of us could've. But if I wrote it the other way you might think that I think you're a crank. Y'know? Anyway my understanding of the original comment is that it was meant as a clarification to the title. Hence why your first reply which starts explaining who Avi Shamir is confused me too.
      - hinkley 4y ago
        Also related to tribal knowledge: One of the sins of technical writing is forgetting to tell people up front why they should care. The assumption that everyone who got here knows exactly why they are here doesn’t scale. You write enough docs and people are gonna click on the wrong one. Nobody wants to read half a page of text and get out a dictionary to find out they’re in the wrong space. You’ve dumped all of short term memory, for one thing. A constant time programming language sounds like a ridiculous notion to most problem domains. It is a ridiculous notion. You only want code that always runs in exactly half a millisecond when you’re solving a very, very specific set of problems, like protecting secrets or opening airbags, and then it’s one of the most important things.
        chowells 4y ago
        You don't even need constant time for opening airbags. Real time (upper bound, but no lower bound) will do the job. Pretty much it's just working with secrets that cares about constant time.
        emmelaich 4y ago
        > One of the sins of technical writing is forgetting to tell people up front why they should care. Hence our confusion of you mentioning Shamir. I went back to the site thinking he may have been a contributor.

Did you reply to the wrong comment?

by ascar 4y ago

Did you reply to the wrong comment?

>>> Constant Time Programming Language >> ...cryptographic programming language... > side channel attacks I know what I’m about, son.

samatman 4y ago
While that's clear from what you said, I also don't exactly see how it works as a reply to GP. You know the rudeness is against guidelines, as well.
- hinkley 4y ago
  In some cultures, being asked if you belong here is considered passive aggressive, and in some cultures passive aggressive is the worst form of rude. Tribal knowledge is always a danger. Which part did you guys think I lost the plot? Why code that runs slower is a feature for cryptography? Assuming people know what a side channel attack is? Why the co-creator of one of the longest surviving cipher systems who spent his career breaking other ciphers is relevant background information? Something else? The summary for the linked package is: > This is the compiler for the Flexible and Constant Time cryptographic programming language. FaCT is a domain-specific language that aids you in writing constant-time code for cryptographic routines that need to be free from timing side channels.
  - cole-k 4y ago
    Are you offended that you were asked if you were replying to the wrong comment? I suppose this could be a cultural faux pas - we must be from different cultures. I would also be inclined to ask if you meant to reply to another comment. Let me explain. To me the other option is to say that what you wrote makes no sense and I cannot understand why you wrote it. Asking if you meant to reply to another comment is my way of showing that I don't think you're a crank, but instead you just made a silly mistake any one of us could've. But if I wrote it the other way you might think that I think you're a crank. Y'know? Anyway my understanding of the original comment is that it was meant as a clarification to the title. Hence why your first reply which starts explaining who Avi Shamir is confused me too.
    - hinkley 4y ago
      Also related to tribal knowledge: One of the sins of technical writing is forgetting to tell people up front why they should care. The assumption that everyone who got here knows exactly why they are here doesn’t scale. You write enough docs and people are gonna click on the wrong one. Nobody wants to read half a page of text and get out a dictionary to find out they’re in the wrong space. You’ve dumped all of short term memory, for one thing. A constant time programming language sounds like a ridiculous notion to most problem domains. It is a ridiculous notion. You only want code that always runs in exactly half a millisecond when you’re solving a very, very specific set of problems, like protecting secrets or opening airbags, and then it’s one of the most important things.
      - chowells 4y ago
        You don't even need constant time for opening airbags. Real time (upper bound, but no lower bound) will do the job. Pretty much it's just working with secrets that cares about constant time.
      - emmelaich 4y ago
        > One of the sins of technical writing is forgetting to tell people up front why they should care. Hence our confusion of you mentioning Shamir. I went back to the site thinking he may have been a contributor.