He / They

  • 28 Posts
  • 1.52K Comments
Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 16th, 2023

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  • When it’s being employed properly, it’s absolutely an important tool, but the way they’re presented to most users, such as on-device biometric data stores (e.g. Apple’s secure enclave, or a TPM verification), aren’t the proper implementations. Nor is using biometrics as your primary auth method.

    It’s supposed to be “something you have and something you know and something you are”, not “have or know or are”.

    NIST standards for biometrics require the biometric data be stored on a secure remote server, and that the scanner device check against that during auth. Putting the biometric data on the device means that you’re losing a big part of your non-repudiation.

    And it’s even worse when you’re using a secondary factor (biometric) as your primary or only factor (e.g. a phone unlock), that grants access to your other factors like password store and OTP tokens.

    Biometrics are never supposed to be a single-factor auth method when used properly, but that’s how most people use them now, and it degrades their security.

    If your phone requires a passcode, a TOTP grant, and a biometric scan, by all means, please do employ biometrics, but if it’s going to be your only factor, DO NOT.

    Or, for simplicity to the average forum reader:

    Never use biometrics. It’s just not worth the tradeoffs.







  • I think it’s several different things

    1. a visual design aesthetic
    2. specific gameplay mechanics
    3. “legacy” systems and software

    I think each of them can differ in whether they’re fixed or not. Generally I think that in game design, retro is fairly anchored when it comes to visual aesthetics and gameplay design. “Boomer shooter” mechanics and visuals, pixel art games, etc. I suspect we’ll still see those ‘retro’ games in 20 years, and probably not see e.g. Ubisoft-style open world control-point-capture games being called retro.

    Consoles though, I do think shift into retro status very consistently. I think there are people who would even consider DS or certainly GBA games as retro already.



  • Don’t ever take media for granted. Back up everything yourself, and make it available to whoever you can.

    Politicians want to ban books and other media they dislike, and attacking “pirated” and “obscene” media is part of that path.

    Internet Archive thought that by being a legitimate org, they could avoid the anti-consumer, anti-education media-hoarding and denial of companies and the government, but the reality is that individuals were always going to have to be the ones to save media ourselves.