Wednesday, April 05, 2006

When only the glib win, we all lose. In way too many meetings, the fastest talkers win. And by "fastest talkers", I mean those who are the first to articulate an idea, challenge, issue, whatever. Too many of us assume that if it sounds smart, it probably... [Creating Passionate Users] 5:44:15 PM    comment []

Why Phishing Works. Interesting paper. Abstract: To build systems shielding users from fraudulent (or phishing) websites, designers need to know which attack strategies work and why. This paper provides the first empirical evidence about which malicious strategies are successful at deceiving general users. We first analyzed a large set of captured phishing attacks and developed a set of hypotheses about why these strategies might work. We then assessed these hypotheses with a usability study in which 22 participants were shown 20 web sites and asked to determine which ones were fraudulent. We found that 23% of the participants did not look at browser-based cues such as the address bar, status bar and the security indicators, leading to incorrect choices 40% of the time. We also found that some visual deception attacks can fool even the most sophisticated users. These results illustrate that standard security indicators are not effective for a substantial fraction of users, and suggest that alternative approaches are needed. Here's an article on the paper. [Schneier on Security] 7:20:30 AM    comment []

Prion Theory of Mad Cow Disease Called Full of Holes. "...[A]bnormal prion proteins implicated in the development of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, such as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, may be markers for disease rather than the infectious agents." (Medpage Today) [Follow Me Here...] 7:20:22 AM    comment []

Laptop Detractors Shrugged Off. Nicholas Negroponte, the MIT professor whose project to give impovershed children $100 laptops could be off the ground next year, reaffirms his commitment to the plan despite criticism from Microsoft and Intel. [Wired News: Top Stories] 7:20:07 AM    comment []

Cheer the Turtle. So I'm in Maryland, where I just watched Maryland win the Women's NCAA final, against Duke, which was favored (including by me... I'm a fan). As with the Florida win in the men's final yesterday, you had to like the winning team. And the winning teamwork. The Terps trailed most of the game, caught up, and never lost their energy or focus when the pressure coudn't be higher. Kristi Tolliver hit an NBA-range 3-pointer over the outstretched hand of Duke's 6'7" center, Allison Bales, the best shot-blocker in the history of the tournament, to tie the game and send the game into overtime. Went down to the wire in OT too, even with a 1-point Duke lead; but the outcome wasn't in doubt: Maryland was more determined. They showed why they've won all six overtime games this season. Really felt bad for Duke. Coach Gail Goestenkors must own the record for finals futility. Fifth-year senior Monique Curry put off starting a WNBA career to lead Duke to the championship game... but not the championship. No telling how much that one hurt. Anyway, back to packing for the next trip... See ya in San Antonio. [The Doc Searls Weblog] 7:19:57 AM    comment []

New philosophy blog to watch.. I told you it was coming ... The UConn philosophy graduate students have launched a new group blog, named "What is it like to be a blog?" Procrastination (which is an essential part of the graduate school experience) may yield some interesting philosophical reading for the rest of us. Read the entire post [Adventures in Ethics and Science] 7:19:56 AM    comment []