A Cautionary Tale for Developers

[Zatoichi 45]

No, I'm not about to complain about costs, I believe a) you get what you pay for and b) devs work hard and deserve support.

What irks me is onerous and extended installs and product activation. I purchased a rather pricey a320. Upon completion of the purchase a tiny, "Download here," window appeared so I clicked it. It disappeared with no further dialog.

To obtain the download again, I fill out a form with the invoice number. That opens a window that wants invoice number, email used in purchase and the serial number. Okay. Now I get the  download.

Downloaded is two exe's. I run one which tells me to run the other exe first (no, no readme). Okay. Install goes smooth as silk. I run the second exe and am met with a form asking for the invoice number, email used in purchase and the serial number. 

Caution is one thing, but this level of security, or lazy reuse of a form is very off putting.

Edited December 19, 2023 by Zatoichi

[birdguy 3,943]

On 12/18/2023 at 5:52 PM, Zatoichi said:

Caution is one thing, but this level of security, or lazy reuse of a form is very off putting.

Security levels become nuisances after a while.

Several months ago the battery was dead when I tried to start my car.  I called AAA and they asked me for my membership number and my birthday.  Then they told me to find a code they had texted to my phone and to call another number to get service.  I called that number and gave them the code they had sent and then asked for my membership number and birthday and address before I could tell them what the problem was.

They sent a guy to jump the battery and I did get my car started.

I called again when I got back from my errand and went through the security things and when I finally got to talk to real human being I told her I was almost 90 years old and all this security stuff was confusing me and if they couldn't find an easier way for me to get service to cancel my membership and refund the dues I had paid.  I've been a AAA member for over 40 years.

The lady then gave me a 'secret' number I could call and get service immediately without going through all that security stuff.

I'm wondering what kind of security ladder they will have in place a decade from now.  Maybe a chip implanted somewhere in your arm that i-Phones of the future can read.

It seems the more technology we get to make out lives easier the more difficult it becomes to use that technology.

Noel

[dave2013 1,130]

4 hours ago, birdguy said:

I'm wondering what kind of security ladder they will have in place a decade from now.  Maybe a chip implanted somewhere in your arm that i-Phones of the future can read.

The plan is this:

1. Force everyone to have a smartphone or similar device in order to accomplish just about anything.  In the near future one will have the option of an implanted chip for financial transactions and identification - this will eventually be mandated.

2. Replace the currency with a digital currency, aka cdbc, which is controlled and tracked by central banks and governments.

3. Once everyone is subjugated into the new system and the powers that be have full control, begin monitoring, surveilling, and tracking all communications, locations, and financial transactions of everyone, all the time (already happening to some extent).  Anyone who engages in speech or activity that is deemed unlawful, hate speech, harmful, or critical of the ruling regime will have their social credit score accordingly adjusted and penalties will ensue.

It is coming.  Mark my words.

Dave

 

[Mike A 338]

40 minutes ago, dave2013 said:

It is coming.  Mark my words.

 

 

 

[188AHC 2,138]

I'm  more than a bit leery of all this automation today. 

In July of this year some guys hacked my phone and stole a bunch of money from my bank account then placed orders on my Amazon account.  I'm still dealing with fallout from this.

I felt like I was pretty well protected from this but they got through my security and away they went. Also my Amazon was biometrically protected and they were able to still get in.

There are parts of the world that breeds this activity and its getting worse every day.

Now I have several more layers of protection but I will bet efforts are being made by these demons to overcome them as we speak.

[DD_Arthur 1,066]

17 hours ago, dave2013 said:

It is coming.  Mark my words.

I'd like to say you're paranoid and delusional but........

In the UK we are well on the way to a cashless society. This means we're effectively tracked throughout our daily lives. We also have the one of the largest areas of CCTV coverage per head of the population of any country in the world.

Our police have now had clearance to apply these images to facial recognition software without obtaining anyone's permission beforehand or to show due cause.

Our employment laws require any employer to carry out extensive identity checks on new employees. This requires photo ID, be it a driving licence or a passport. Our passports are biometric documents now.

We have new laws which - whatever way you want to present or justify them - are essentially an attack on freedom of expression.

All these things make me fearful of the power of an overarching state being imposed on us, slowly but surely....

[charliearon 3,025]

OK, enough of the political comments!

[Mike A 338]

2 hours ago, charliearon said:

OK, enough of the political comments!

 

 

[IanHarrison 522]

On 12/20/2023 at 5:26 PM, birdguy said:

Security levels become nuisances after a while.

 

My "favourite" are the companies that, when you phone them, ask you first to enter your ID number or birthday numbers but then when you are put through, the person on the other end asks for it all again.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,980]

The original post was about installing flight sim software but it seems to have become a debate about smartphones becoming part of our everyday lives.

Back on topic please.