Get Your Social out of My Log In

Mar21

I’m really, really starting to hate seeing this when I download a new application:

My objections:

What if I stop using the service I choose to log in to your application?
You are totally going to spam my friends and followers on the service I choose—likely without asking me.
I use different strong passwords for as many applications as is feasible to limit the surface area of any personal security compromise. You’re not letting me control my own security.

What I think when I see this:

You were too lazy to write your own login and authentication system.

Historically Hardcore

Mar21

This poster is making the rounds on Reddit today:

As you might have guessed, it’s not actually from the Smithsonian (though it should be), but checking the Reddit thread, the original source is a student art project by designer Jenny Burrows. You can find a blog post about it, including two more posters in the same style, here. Prints are available from DeviantArt, and I sincerely hope some teachers buy them because they are awesome.