Apr 3, 2015

Far too frequently, systems are hacked and their user databases are compromised. And there are far too many cases where the database contains plain text passwords, poorly hashed passwords, or two-way encrypted passwords, despite the wealth of resources available on how to properly store user credentials. And it’s not just legacy databases; just this week, I saw a reddit thread with at least one developer advocating custom hashing functions and “security through obscurity”.

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Sep 30, 2014

I contacted Scott Perry (R-PA), my U.S. Congressman, to encourage him to support net neutrality. Like Pat Toomey (R-PA), my U.S. Senator, he opposes it:

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Sep 15, 2014

I emailed Pat Toomey (R-PA), my U.S. Senator, to encourage him to support net neutrality. As you can see from his response, he is opposed to it:

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Apr 15, 2014

If you were to look at my StackOverflow profile, you would see that I’ve only asked a handful of questions in the years that I’ve been a member. However, this is not because I don’t run into programming problems or don’t think to ask questions. In the process of formulating a good StackOverflow question, I usually find the answer myself.

First of all, it’s embarrassing to spend time typing up a question and have someone respond with a Google search providing dozens of hits that provide the answer. So before I even start typing, you’d better believe I Google the hell out of the problem. And many times, I find what I’m looking for.

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Oct 16, 2013

On October 1, 2013, HealthCare.gov was opened to the nation. As one of the more tangible aspects of the Affordable Care Act (aka ACA, Obamacare), the glitches it has experienced are getting lots of negative attention. It’s been described as an “inexcusable mess“ and a “disaster”. I’m not going to discuss the merits of the ACA here. But as someone who spends every day building software, I think the criticisms of the HealthCare.gov application have been unfair. Here are a few reasons why we should cut them some slack.

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