Trenches comic: Tuesday Dec. 6, 2011 - Hermetic

Bogey

Don't you feel secure?

12/06/2011 - Anonymous

Years ago I worked for a small start up, and while running through a manual tests on the product installer. I discovered that if you set the user password to “a” (a single, lowercase a) then logged into the service, your password wasn’t actually “a” but something different. I couldn’t tell what the actual password was without access to the database, which was far beyond my pay grade.

This had the potential for all sorts of security problems. If the hashing algorithm for storing passwords was unpredictable, it could mean tons of misery for our users. Worst case it could mean that there is some sort of “master key” floating out there, waiting for some diligent hacker to discover.

I logged the bug and the dev it was assigned to told me to check out the new build of the installer and run my test again. I did as asked and got the same results. Then he came to my desk to see me reproduce the bug. I did as asked and got the same results. Then he checked out another build on his machine and tried to reproduce the bug. He got the same results as well.

In my mind, this was a show stopper. In his mind this could be fixed by requiring the installer to require a minimum of six characters for the password. There was no mention of possible flaws in the hashing algorithm in any of the architecture discussions that I was privy to.

Security vulnerabilities are basically just software bugs. Software bugs get out into the wild because they weren’t caught in QA. Sometimes QAs catch security flaws but they get shouted down by devs. Think about that next time you enter your credit card number for a subscription to a game.

PikaPuff

really? blu-ray? not illegally begotten torrents? what kind of fan does he think he is

King Riptor

I think the most staggering issue is Q owns a walk in humidor solely for Laser discs

zepherin

King Riptor wrote:

I think the most staggering issue is Q owns a walk in humidor solely for Laser discs

I think the most staggering issue is that anyone could afford a place that has a humidor on a game tester salary. Even a lead.

Falx

Living with your parents frees up quite a bit of cash that would go to things like utilities and rent, etc.

bwanie

where'd you get the notion it's a walk-in humidor?

Rex Beavers

bwanie wrote:

where'd you get the notion it's a walk-in humidor?

I'm also wondering what made people think it was a walk-in. I assumed it was a regular humidor that had the sole purpose of housing those specific laser discs.

jackal

If it's good enough for Jimmy Chamberlin...

Ivar

Would a humidor really be a good place to store laserdiscs?

Athenor

It's probably more for the sleeves.

Jam Warrior

I'm more amused by the idea that format affects canonicity of its contents.

Also laser discs are generally hilarious. Vinyl sized CDs! Truly a technology attempting to be ahead of its time and thus getting it very wrong.

jackal

Laser Discs wish they were giant CDs. Bitches were analog.

kingworks

I remember watching laserdics at my neighboor's house. He had all the best toys ... and never took care of any of it.

Ivar

jackal wrote:

Laser Discs wish they were giant CDs. Bitches were analog.

The video was. The audio could be analog or digital.

wonderpug

Jam Warrior wrote:

I'm more amused by the idea that format affects canonicity of its contents.

They can do different color and sound mixes each different release, so it's definitely possible for purists to prefer certain versions. See: Star Wars

Dark Raven X

Justice shot first

Delzhand

In the 20th anniversary Transformers DVD release, Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime was definitely more purpley-magenta than red. I don't know if there have ever been fan debates, but I can definitely say the original movie had the colors closer to the toy.

jackal

I'm just going to assume that the original release of Lawstar had some pretty racist jokes that had to be removed for the Blu-ray release.

Ivar

Damn you, Wikipedia! Now I know about the existence of tobacco beetles.

I still can't figure out why the hell you would keep a laserdisc in a humidor, though.

RoyceSraphim

I remember laser discs, I'm quite lucky I learned of Krillin's destructo disk well after we had lost them in Somalia or else....

Xevo

I am very disappointed that there was no story with this comic, it's the only reason I check the site on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The comic itself generally does not deliver, this week being no exception.

DouglasDanger

Ivar wrote:

Damn you, Wikipedia! Now I know about the existence of tobacco beetles.

I still can't figure out why the hell you would keep a laserdisc in a humidor, though.

It is a joke, goose.

pyroja

Jam Warrior wrote:

Also laser discs are generally hilarious. Vinyl sized CDs! Truly a technology attempting to be ahead of its time and thus getting it very wrong.

You do know that LaserDisc predates CD as a format by several years, right?

Dark Raven X

That's what he's saying! LaserDisc was CD before CD was a thing.

Only it didn't get it right.

Also, I am with Troy; sexiest format name ever.

Henroid

I've actually met people who wanted me to watch / listen to stuff as a condition to being friends. It's a really bizarre process, people.

But that's why I like this particular strip a lot.

Aurich

He has been carrying the Lawstar Bluray on his person at least since the last strip.

jackal

You don't carry a blu ray box set of your favorite 80s cartoon in your utilikilt? Welcome to the scrub tier.

Lindsay Lohan

Xevo wrote:

I am very disappointed that there was no story with this comic, it's the only reason I check the site on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The comic itself generally does not deliver, this week being no exception.

I'm in the same boat. So far Trenches just hasn't clicked for me. I don't know if I'm still stuck on the artstyle (which I admittedly still don't like) but I read it just as a side effect of wanting to read the industry stories they post. Hopefully it's just late today?

Fandeathis

This was my favorite story by far. I hate putting in my credit card number on websites! It's only been stolen and had to be changed 3 times in the last 2 years.

wonderpug

Fandeathis wrote:

This was my favorite story by far. I hate putting in my credit card number on websites! It's only been stolen and had to be changed 3 times in the last 2 years.

Do you worry more or less when you use credit card at restaurants or gas station pumps?

Dark Raven X

I have a phobia of using a debit card at a place I've never used it before.

Especially ATMs in the middle of nowhere in the dead of night. Maybe that's more rational though.

jothki

Lindsey Lohan wrote:

Xevo wrote:

I am very disappointed that there was no story with this comic, it's the only reason I check the site on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The comic itself generally does not deliver, this week being no exception.

I'm in the same boat. So far Trenches just hasn't clicked for me. I don't know if I'm still stuck on the artstyle (which I admittedly still don't like) but I read it just as a side effect of wanting to read the industry stories they post. Hopefully it's just late today?

It's the sort of thing that slowly builds.

At least half the point of this strip is buried in the previous ones. Isaac probably owns neither a Blu Ray player nor a TV, but doesn't want to admit that fact. He needs to watch the series to make up to his superior who dislikes him, but in doing so he'll have to throw himself on the mercy of someone else who dislikes him, while possibly trying to cover up the reason he doesn't have a TV.

Warlock82

jothki wrote:

Lindsey Lohan wrote:

Xevo wrote:

I am very disappointed that there was no story with this comic, it's the only reason I check the site on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The comic itself generally does not deliver, this week being no exception.

I'm in the same boat. So far Trenches just hasn't clicked for me. I don't know if I'm still stuck on the artstyle (which I admittedly still don't like) but I read it just as a side effect of wanting to read the industry stories they post. Hopefully it's just late today?

It's the sort of thing that slowly builds.

At least half the point of this strip is buried in the previous ones. Isaac probably owns neither a Blu Ray player nor a TV, but doesn't want to admit that fact. He needs to watch the series to make up to his superior who dislikes him, but in doing so he'll have to throw himself on the mercy of someone else who dislikes him, while possibly trying to cover up the reason he doesn't have a TV.

The problem is, that's probably like the next five comics :P It's taking a *really* long time to build up whatever it's building up to.

Edit: Yay, story is up finally at least

sonicblue

What's up with his hair color?

SabreMau

Laserdiscs were ideal for cover art. Just a big square of high-res artwork that had to be scaled way down and cropped for VHS or DVD covers.

BusterK

SabreMau wrote:

Laserdiscs were ideal for cover art. Just a big square of high-res artwork that had to be scaled way down and cropped for VHS or DVD covers.

But VHS and DVD have a closer aspect ratio for movie posters

Also the humidor is probably to prevent laser rot
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laserdisc#Laser_rot

King Riptor

bwanie wrote:

where'd you get the notion it's a walk-in humidor?

Well Laserdiscs are pretty big . Also I have no idea how large a humidor generally is

Ivar

edit: fuck, how do you delete a post?

edit2: Oh, you can't? Well, then I guess this space is for rent

Taramoor

Bravestarr is actually on Netflix streaming right now.

I'm half-tempted to watch it.

SabreMau

Ivar wrote:

edit: fuck, how do you delete a post?

You can't anymore.

Dropping Loads

King Riptor wrote:

bwanie wrote:

where'd you get the notion it's a walk-in humidor?

Well Laserdiscs are pretty big . Also I have no idea how large a humidor generally is

Also, if the discs never leave the humidor then the laserdisc player would have to be in there with disks. So either it's a walk-in, or it's a jukebox.