Discussion
The conventional wisdom is that there is a trade-off. If you want long-term security, you must be willing to sacrifice a little bit of efficiency and generate your parameters in a random way.
no one in the entire world has ever said this. this is terrible advice
CRAZY!?!?!?!?! https://infoscience.epfl.ch/bitstreams/ebc1cb16-dc47-4c1b-9075-712dfd8c33f7/download apparently there is a finite field arithmetic method that is extremely competitive with ECC on both key size and computation time
@jpm snow isnt actually real, it's all asbestos flakes
@gloriouscow oh Australians know all about asbestos…
RE: https://social.lol/@macmanx/117141574509979712
Eyy keep it up #Fosstodon 👏👏
@brouhaha @ai6yr Thing about a 33 is it's all uppercase with the standard cylinder. I learned the hard way that those type cylinders have no positioning detent, you have to line it up and tighten that nut on top simultaneously or the characters don't print properly. Also, adjust the carriage return dashpot can be a real bear. I've got more stories about the 33 I won't trouble the universe with right now.
@alcinnz FWIW, my hesitation is largely that there are existing feature-phone offerings that address much of what I'd want, and waiting for something else which ... might well not appear or meet needs ... doesn't seem particularly rewarding for me.
I've been looking into this space for much of the past year, intensely for a few months. My view is that working with existing hardware would probably be more rewarding, and would be the fastest way to deliver a useful feature set. There are already several vendors who do this, Sunbeam (https://sunbeamwireless.com/) and https://dumbwireless.com/products/dumphone-2>).
There are also other options --- I'm looking at Sonim's rugged devices (they carry a range), and would be strongly partial to an e-ink hard-keyboard (T-9) flip device (there are several options close to this, none quite works for me).
We've already talked about what you want to do, and I won't relitigate that. But from a potential purchaser, this is my thought process and preference.
The other option I'd strongly consider would be a WiFi-only SIP device. WiFi is sufficiently ubiquitous that being able to move from coverage-zone to coverage zone would work pretty well. Much of the tracking of mobile comms is avoided (if necessary I could use a mobile hotspot). VOIP generally affords vastly superior call management / call filtering capabilities. From what I've seen of the space, this particular niche is poorly filled, whilst at the same time general frustration with direct-dial phone networks and mobile/smartphone tracking and distractions are an increasingly major turn-off.
@danderson Operating system that the entire world depends on for healthcare, finance, airplanes, ...: "Yeah, seems to boot up ok. Getting a few weird log messages but doesn't seem to be a problem. Filesystem off-gassing seems to have stabilized"
Slash fic web site: "Every single byte is sacred, each bit must be tested for oneness or zeroity, ..."
When deciding on the basic type of cryptography to use (RSA or ECC, for example),
literally lol
The conventional wisdom is that there is a trade-off. If you want long-term security, you must be willing to sacrifice a little bit of efficiency and generate your parameters in a random way.
no one in the entire world has ever said this. this is terrible advice
also sorry if you use "RSA" to mean "discrete logarithm" you are a fucking tool and i can learn nothing from you
When deciding on the basic type of cryptography to use (RSA or ECC, for example),
literally lol
@thomasfuchs So incredibly quotable
@cyp I mean I get where they’re coming from and I don’t care about the headphone jack (I prefer waterproof phone) but it’s so funny
Lara Greaves points out that after the Nats' failed leadership coup, and the demotion of Chris Penk, Paul Goldsmith now holds 11 Ministerial portfolios;
This is an unprecedented number for a NZ Cabinet minister. As with the Nats' inability to choose a replacement for CLuxon, it points to a serious shortage of talent in their caucus.
(1/2)
It's worth noting that this firing of ministers, and the resulting concentration of portfolios, is much like what happened to Labour during their last term in government. Starting with Ardern's resignation, and culminating in David Parker's resignation as Minister of Revenue.
This was a government that entered its second term with an unprecedented majority, and was widely expected to stroll to victory in 2023. But was instead humbled by a landslide loss.
Just saying ...
(2/2)
Sunday, Aug 23 2026, 8PM CT (1AM Monday UTC)
IT'S #MONSTERDON
we will be watching:
The Stuff (1985)
"A delicious, mysterious goo that oozes from the earth is marketed as the newest dessert sensation, but the tasty treat rots more than teeth when zombie-like snackers who only want to consume more of the strange substance at any cost begin infesting the world."
its streaming free on tubi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_ROA_ZEGfA
please watch and live post it
with us!
@Taweret
Anti-capitalist classic!
@OldAintDead I was just thinking how she's such a versatile actress.
@meg she’s really different in this role. Killing it as usual.
Preschooler: who wants ice cream? Dad, come to my shop!
Me: ok! Do you have butter brickle?
PS: i have peanut butter ice cream.
Me: That sounds great; i'd love to buy some from you. How much is it?
PS: $300
@NickGates Awww our George is all grownup! And swindling dad!! Good job kid!
sorry if you do this as a cryptographer you are the problem with the field
in 1997 the number of cryptographers with sufficient mathematical background to analyze and improve upon the best attacks on integer factorization was less than the number who were capable of evaluating the best attacks on the elliptic curve discrete log problem.
what a strange little power struggle
also sorry if you use "RSA" to mean "discrete logarithm" you are a fucking tool and i can learn nothing from you
then koblitz takes the most obnoxious possible tone talking about "oh, ECC is mathematics. you wouldn't get it" and it's like oh. i get it. there's a reason your book didn't help me understand anything at all https://web.archive.org/web/20150915024858/https://cacr.uwaterloo.ca/~ajmeneze/anotherlook/serpentine.shtml
Although it takes a little more mathematical background to understand the group law on an elliptic curve than to understand the modular exponentiation in RSA, it is illogical to conclude from this that research on breaking RSA through factoring is easier to understand than research on finding discrete logs on elliptic curves.
no, that's exactly fucking it. you're making it hard to understand so people can't understand what the hell is wrong with the system
sorry if you do this as a cryptographer you are the problem with the field
in 1997 the number of cryptographers with sufficient mathematical background to analyze and improve upon the best attacks on integer factorization was less than the number who were capable of evaluating the best attacks on the elliptic curve discrete log problem.
what a strange little power struggle
2026/08/22:
Hexagram 60 - Restraint
flowing with
Hexagram 34 - Great Strength
2026/08/23:
Hexagram 15 - Modesty
flowing with
Hexagram 49 - Revolution
@cyp that was “courage” iirc
@thomasfuchs So incredibly quotable
Rheinmetall made my dream product come true: Invisible EV charging.
No giant charging stations in a million colors polluting the visual experience of every city. Just a discrete socket in the curb.
Please, could we agree that this future is SO much better?
@randahl Want to ruin a charge cable; leave it coiled and tied tight (or loose) and it will melt. Don't do it.
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