I always thought it was good to compress first because you can more easily avoid frequency attacks. In that way I think it's better to compress then encrypt.
EDIT: That and you get to encrypt a shorter data stream. I realize frequency attacks aren't as much of a concern these days but it's just the first thing that came to my mind.
Also, some encryption systems integrate compression; like OpenPGP -- it supports ZIP, ZLIB, and BZIP2. So in such case, it may well be just sufficient to encrypt uncompressed data.
I thought the same thing when I read that. When I was thinking of "integrity" from a security perspective (as you might in an article like this) it didn't make sense. But when I thought of it more from a pure data transfer perspective between say a browser and the application it made more sense. I don't think he's saying that it's safe from mitm attacks. (At least, I hope not....)
Make sure you read the discussions below on the validity of using ad hominem arguments to undermine witness credibility. Hard to watch/read when the witness in question is an idol of yours, but still a valid approach in the court room.
I used to live in this area several years ago. It's really quite a rough area with plenty of shootings and stray bullets to go around. These stories cropped up all the time. I remember discovering at one point that the crime in Richmond was worse than Compton. Not sure if it's still true or not.
This was my reaction right away as well. But anymore when it comes to "convenience" there is certainly a price to be paid. Here, it is (at a minimum) perceived loss of privacy.
Just as I intentionally inconvenience myself to avoid places like McDonald's, I'll do the same here.
Did anyone else notice that the site and social networking properties were all put up at the same time as the post (roughly)? Good tactic for starting a business.
I agree that WordPress is a little convoluted for simple projects. However, you can get great starter themes that eliminate that complexity for you from the get-go. Like the _s starter theme or something like Bones.
I think WordPress is often the go-to platform because it's just what people hear about -- plus, it's free. My preferred CMS for websites is ExpressionEngine because it's flexible enough to make it what you want. There's no "loop" that you have to deal with over and over and there aren't a gajillion default things that you have to strip out at the outset of a project.
The trouble is that clients are afraid to try something that isn't what their neighbor is using. I often get, "Yah, but this is what I used in a past project." or "A buddy of mine used WordPress and he gets 10 million hits a day!" Getting them to pay $299 for a commercial license for EE seems like a really steep cost when they could just get WordPress for free and it's "good enough."
I can understand where he's coming from. I've always been amazed at how carried away people can get with the their web designs and applications. Several typefaces, a ginormous color palette, skeuomorphic stuff, wizzbang doo-dads, unnecessary libraries, the list goes on.
I can appreciate a well-designed and well-built site. One that pays attention to hierarchy and how the information is presented with an eye toward performance and scalability. I always find that my favorite sites are the ones that seem to take Edgar Allen Poe's advice for writing a short story. Every component has a reason for being there (i.e., it is functional). If the component or element's purpose is to be there for the sake of simply being there (it just looks cool!), then it shouldn't exist.
I suppose that's minimalism. But oftentimes, minimalism goes against what people think of in terms of "creating an experience." Most of the time when I visit a website that creates an experience, I am left with a sour taste in my mouth.
I find it interesting the author of this is so earnest about getting an image slider. I can't remember where I saw it, but it made it to the front page of HN... it was a single-purpose site demonstrating that sliders/carousels are lazy answers to information hierarchy challenges. I agree, although I've been guilty of using sliders in the past. However, I'm trying to make amends and try to come up with design solutions that don't require a carousel or slider.
I don't have any research to back up that sliders are detrimental if not just ineffective. But I do see how they can be just convenient...and not in a good way. The fast food of design? Tastes good at first but doesn't really sustain?
Sounds kind of corny, but Winged Migration is a cool movie. Not flying on the back of the bird, but it's shot in a way that is pretty awesome. Worth watching on a high def TV.
EDIT: That and you get to encrypt a shorter data stream. I realize frequency attacks aren't as much of a concern these days but it's just the first thing that came to my mind.