Re: AES trickery ;-)

From: Tom St Denis (tomstdenis_at_gmail.com)
Date: 11/17/04 

Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2004 11:45:10 -0500

Thomas Pornin wrote:
> According to Tom St Denis <tomstdenis@gmail.com>:
>
>>You know. If you had just said "tom you can't use __ in LTC" I would
>>have fixed it.
>
>
> I actually don't believe it (because I'm cynical) but I understand that
> you believe it (because I'm a civilized cynical). I chose the way which
> seemed most appropriate for you to produce better code: a few dozen
> lines of technical points explained in a clear way, and a one-line
> remark (which is also technically correct) just to ensure that you take
> care of the issue.
>
> Facts show that my method was effective.

Um actually facts show that Randy was more effective. I largely
dismissed most of your post after I initially replied. I wasn't even
finished replying to Randy when I fixed the bug. So no Mr. Pornin your
method didn't quite work as you intended.

And actually history shows otherwise. BitMover, Sony, IBM, .... are all
companies which use it and have submitted
comments/suggestions/fixes/etc. None of them resorted to public
"assesments".

>>It's one thing to pick on the code but to then infer that I have no
>>ability to develop software.
>
>
> That's the point, isn't it ? Using reserved identifiers only shows that
> one does not know that these identifiers are reserved. What would be
> insulting would be to suggest that even after being made aware of the
> issue, you would be incapable of fixing things. I did not suggest that
> and indeed you fixed things.

There is a difference between coding and development. I'm a software
developer not programmer. There are more considerations to writing
crypto then "did I accidently use a reserved keyword that no fielded
compiler actually uses?" I agree it was a bug, I fixed it. I don't
agree that that little bug reflects my ability to develop software.

In your previous post you stated:

"However, in my company, we require from programmers to really know what
they are doing, and this includes being aware of all the small gotchas
of portable C," And I agree with that. A "C programmer" should be
familiar in depth with the spec. I'm not a "C programmer".

>>If you think my software is not up to par then don't use it. I won't
>>take offence.
>
>
> ... but you took offence of me stating that thought.

No I took offence to the "In brief, if your code is such, I don't want
to see any in my servers."

>>There is no need however, to attack the person who writes, distributes
>>and maintains it for free without first giving some thought to the
>>fact that it's a process not a product.
>
>
> ... and now you take offence of me contributing (for free !) to that
> process in a way which proved effective but has the minor drawback of
> trampling some misplaced feelings of yours. So what. In that matter I
> chose to make you a better programmer, rather than to inflate your ego.

If the only way you can address mistakes is to publicly draw out your
laundry... I'm glad I don't work for you.

Anyways, if you think the only way you can help people is to resort to
"nimby" arguments then keep them to yourself. I gladly accept all forms
of bug reports/suggestions/fixes/etc from people even in public.

Tom

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