So I got my email and password delivered to me in plain text..

Time to leave this planet.. 🚀

What I'm posting here is my 'manifesto'/the things I stand for. You may like it, you may hate it, you may comment but this is what I stand for.

What are the basic principles of life? one of them is sharing, so why stop at software/computers?
I think we should share our software, make it better together and don't put restrictions onto it. Everyone should be able to contribute their part and we should make it better together. Of course, we have to make money but I think that there is a very good way in making money through OSS.

Next to that, since the Snowden releases from 2013, it has come clear that the NSA (and other intelligence agencies) will try everything to get into anyone's messages, devices, systems and so on. That's simply NOT okay.
Our devices should be OUR devices. No agency should be allowed to warrantless bypass our systems/messages security/encryptions for the sake of whatever 'national security' bullshit. Even a former NSA semi-director traveled to the UK to oppose mass surveillance/mass govt. hacking because he, himself, said that it doesn't work.

We should be able to communicate freely without spying. Without the feeling that we are being watched. Too badly, the intelligence agencies of today do not want us to do this and this is why mass surveillance/gag orders (companies having to reveal their users' information without being allowed to alert their users about this) are in place but I think that this is absolutely wrong. When we use end to end encrypted communications, we simply defend ourselves against this non-ethical form of spying.
I'm a heavy Signal (and since a few days also Riot.IM (matrix protocol) (Riot.IM with end to end crypto enabled)), Tutanota (encrypted email) and Linux user because I believe that only those measures (open source, reliable crypto) will protect against all the mass spying we face today.
The applications/services I strongly oppose are stuff like WhatsApp (yes, encryted messages but the metadata is readily available and it's closed source), skype, gmail, outlook and so on and on and on.

I think that we should OWN our OWN data, communications, browsing stuffs, operating systems, softwares and so on.

This was my rant.

I spent over a decade of my life working with Ada. I've spent almost the same amount of time working with C# and VisualBasic. And I've spent almost six years now with F#. I consider all of these great languages for various reasons, each with their respective problems. As these are mostly mature languages some of the problems were only knowable in hindsight. But Ada was always sort of my baby. I don't really mind extra typing, as at least what I do, reading happens much more than writing, and tab completion has most things only being 3-4 key presses irl. But I'm no zealot, and have been fully aware of deficiencies in the language, just like any language would have. I've had similar feelings of all languages I've worked with, and the .NET/C#/VB/F# guys are excellent with taking suggestions and feedback.

This is not the case with Ada, and this will be my story, since I've no longer decided anonymity is necessary.

First few years learning the language I did what anyone does: you write shit that already exists just to learn. Kept refining it over time, sometimes needing to do entire rewrites. Eventually a few of these wound up being good. Not novel, just good stuff that already existed. Outperforming the leading Ada company in benchmarks kind of good. At the time I was really gung-ho about the language. Would have loved to make Ada development a career. Eventually build up enough of this, as well as a working, but very bad performing compiler, and decide to try to apply for a job at this company. I wasn't worried about the quality of the compiler, as anyone who's seriously worked with Ada knows, the language is remarkably complex with some bizarre rules in dark corners, so a compiler which passes the standards test indicates a very intimate knowledge of the language few can attest to.

I get told they didn't think I would be a good fit for the job, and that they didn't think I should be doing development.

A few months of rapid cycling between hatred and self loathing passes, and then a suicide attempt. I've got past problems which contributed more so than the actual job denial.

So I get better and start working even harder on my shit. Get the performance of my stuff up even better. Don't bother even trying to fix up the compiler, and start researching about text parsing. Do tons of small programs to test things, and wind up learning a lot. I'm starting to notice a lot of languages really surpassing Ada in _quality of life_, with things package managers and repositories for those, as well as social media presence and exhaustive tutorials from the community.

At the time I didn't really get programming language specific package managers (I do now), but I still brought this up to the community. Don't do that. They don't like new ideas. Odd for a language which at the time was so innovative. But social media presence did eventually happen with a Twitter account that is most definitely run by a specific Ada company masquerading as a general Ada advocate. It did occasionally draw interest to neat things from the community, so that's cool.

Since I've been using both VisualStudio and an IDE this Ada company provides, I saw a very jarring quality difference over the years. I'm not gonna say VS is perfect, it's not. But this piece of shit made VS look like a polished streamlined bug free race car designed by expert UX people. It. Was. Bad. Very little features, with little added over the years. Fast forwarding several years, I can find about ten bugs in five minutes each update, and I can't find bugs in the video games I play, so I'm no bug finder. It's just that bad. This from a company providing software for "highly reliable systems"...

So I decide to take a crack at writing an editor extension for VS Code, which I had never even used. It actually went well, and as of this writing it has over 24k downloads, and I've received some great comments from some people over on Twitter about how detailed the highlighting is. Plenty of bespoke advertising the entire time in development, of course.

Never a single word from the community about me.

Around this time I had also started a YouTube channel to provide educational content about the language, since there's very little, except large textbooks which aren't right for everyone. Now keep in mind I had written a compiler which at least was passing the language standards test, so I definitely know the language very well. This is a standard the programmers at these companies will admit very few people understand. YouTube channel met with hate from the community, and overwhelming thanks from newcomers. Never a shout out from the "community" Twitter account. The hate went as far as things like how nothing I say should be listened to because I'm a degenerate Irishman, to things like how the world would have been a better place if I was successful in killing myself (I don't talk much about my mental illness, but it shows up).

I'm strictly a .NET developer now. All code ported.

My final year taking a B.Sc. I'm writing up my Distributed Systems project, the day before handing it in. It's on top of Transis, and source code is "stored" in RCS (yes, I'm that old). The project is a reliable system administration tool, that performs the same action across a cluster with guaranteed semantics.
I'm very proud of the semantics, but cannot figure out why the subdirectory installation stuff works almost but not quite. Here's my sequence of actions:
1. Install across all machines.
2. Manually see it's broken.
3. "rm -rf *".
4. Repeat.

What in to discover is that the subdirectory installation always finishes off in a current directory 1 level higher than where it started. Oh, and the entire cluster sees my NFS home directory. Oh, and I'm running each cluster member in a deep subdirectory of my dev directory. Oh, and my RCS files live in a subdirectory of my dev directory.

All of a sudden, my 5 concurrent "rm -rf *"s were printing weird error messages about ENOENT and not being able to find some inodes. In a belated flash of brilliance, I figure out all the above, and also that I've just deleted my dev directory. 5 times, concurrently. And the RCS files.

That was the day a kindly sysadmin taught me than NetApps have these .snapshot directories.

Building Fortresses, not Firewalls: Ethical Hacking Meets Software Development

In the digital age, security is no longer an afterthought; it's the bedrock upon which our online world rests. Yet, traditional security measures often resemble fortresses – imposing, but vulnerable to unseen cracks and tunnels. To truly safeguard our systems, we need to think like the enemy, like the nimble figures scaling those walls: ethical hackers.

Enter the exciting realm of DevSecOps, where ethical hacking practices are woven into the very fabric of the software development lifecycle (SDLC). This proactive approach is akin to building castles with security in mind, each brick meticulously laid to withstand even the most cunning siege.

Why Ethical Hacking in SDLC?

Imagine developing a critical piece of software, only to discover a gaping security hole after launch. The damage could be catastrophic, exposing sensitive data and eroding trust. Ethical hacking flips this script. By integrating penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, and threat modeling throughout the SDLC, we proactively hunt for weaknesses before they can be exploited.

Think of it as a friendly sparring match, where the ethical hacker throws their best punches to expose vulnerabilities, allowing the development team to fortify the software's defenses. This constant testing and refining leads to robust, secure systems that can withstand real-world attacks.

Benefits of DevSecOps:
1. Reduced Costs and Risks: Early detection and patching of vulnerabilities are far cheaper than dealing with a full-blown data breach.
2. Improved Software Quality: Security becomes an inherent part of the development process, leading to more reliable and trustworthy software.
3. Enhanced Brand Reputation: Demonstrating a proactive approach to security builds trust with customers and stakeholders.

Putting it into Practice:
Integrating ethical hacking into the SDLC requires a cultural shift. Developers, security professionals, and testers need to work together seamlessly, sharing knowledge and fostering a collaborative environment. Here are some key practices:
1. Threat Modeling: Identify potential threats and attack vectors early in the development process.
2. Static and Dynamic Code Analysis: Use automated tools to detect vulnerabilities in code.
3. Penetration Testing: Simulate real-world attacks to uncover hidden weaknesses.
4. Security Awareness Training: Educate developers and other stakeholders about security best practices.

Tools of the Trade:
A plethora of tools empowers ethical hackers and security professionals in their quest for a more secure digital world. Some popular options include:

1. Kali Linux: A distribution packed with security tools for penetration testing.
2. Burp Suite: A web application security testing platform.
3. Metasploit: A framework for developing and executing exploit code.
4. Wireshark: A network traffic analyzer for identifying suspicious activity.

The Future of Security:
As technology evolves, so too must our security practices. DevSecOps, with its embrace of ethical hacking, is at the forefront of this evolution. By building security into the very fabric of software development, we can create a safer, more resilient digital world for everyone.

Remember, in the ongoing battle against cyber threats, ethical hackers are not the enemy; they are our allies, the architects of digital fortresses that stand strong against the shadows. So, let's embrace DevSecOps, sharpen our ethical hacking skills, and build a future where security is not just an afterthought, but a fundamental principle.

I encourage you to explore the world of DevSecOps and ethical hacking. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting your journey, there's always more to learn and contribute. Together, we can build a more secure digital future, one line of code and one vulnerability patch at a time.

Do you have any questions about DevSecOps or ethical hacking? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!