Security Fail

On By JohnIn annoying, sysadminLeave a comment

Security failure: requiring that create an account with a minimum or maximum account name size.

Why it’s a problem:

  • Ham radio operators often like to use their world-unique radio callsigns to identify themselves and they are frequently four or five characters long. So they’ll need to resort to using their given names.
  • People with relatively common given names will find that they can’t even use their own name as an account name, so they resort to made-up names, or worse – using their given name along with a year of birth, creating an even bigger security risk.

Also, in your user-feedback, don’t tell them how to social-engineer your security team. A simple and vague “input prohibited” would suffice, particularly if they’re trying to include something that your software or wetware tends to stumble with.

Things to Stop Saying to Yourself

On By JohnIn psychologyLeave a comment

onlinecounsellingcollege:

1. “I’m no good at …”

Say instead “It’s just a skill, and something I can learn.”

2. “I’m such a failure …”

Say instead “I got it wrong, and everybody makes mistakes.”

3. “There’s no point in trying …”

Say instead “It maybe hard, but step by step will get me there in time.”

4. “Everybody hates me; I’ve got no friends …”

Say instead “It doesn’t really matter what these people think about me. There are others who will recognize my value and true worth.”

5. “I hate myself. I deserve to be rejected …”

Say instead “I am beautiful inside, and have value and worth. I deserve to be cherished and be treated well.”

For those family, friends, and team members who sometimes need reminders.

Fair is Fair

On By JohnIn finance, sociologyLeave a comment

If an establishment insists on using one of those little counterfeit currency pens to see if my bills are legal, I should do the same to them when they hand me change. “I’m sorry, this bill is counterfeit… do you have another form of payment?”

Apple iDevice Plurals

On By JohnIn language, techLeave a comment

Car -> Cars

Phone -> Phones

Simple enough.

iPhone -> iPhones

iPad -> iPads

Okay, still following.

But it really gets cringe-worthy when people try to pluralize the Pro part of iPad Pro or the rather long-lived MacBook Pro by just tacking an S to the end of the name:

MacBook Pro -> MacBook Pros?

iPad Pro -> iPad Pros?

No, those don’t work because they aren’t multiple professionals – they’re multiple MacBooks.

iPad Pro Devices?

MacBook Pro MacBooks?

No, that won’t do. But there is a perfectly suitable solution:

MacBooks Pro

iPads Pro

That said, I expect that in some future we’ll see somebody with an absolutely massive collective of iPads Pro for which we’ll need a collective name. Maybe it’ll someday be called a Fanboi of iPads Pro.