Hacker News Reader

Comment by gumballindie | Hacker News Reader

> internet before we had cryptography?

I’m sorry what? The internet has been clear text for the most part.

We can communicate securely on the internet because of cryptography (HTTPS vs. HTTP). If cryptography didn't exist any signal you ever sent over the internet could be observed and used maliciously against you (payment info, passwords, etcetera).

The WWW (1989) ran for 5 years before SSL 1.0 (1994).

If cryptography were never invented, we would use the internet like we used analog telephones (i.e., under the assumption our communication could be easily intercepted) and not pass privileged information over it. Otherwise, I imagine it would be a non-issue.

Given changing laws on cryptography (i.e., state-required backdoors & etc.), we may be back in that mindset before too long.

Appreciate your comment! You're right, the analogy isn't perfect. I hope the sentiment of the analogy comes through though.

"Otherwise, I imagine it would be a non-issue." Don't understand how you can say that though.

But there we go again - asking people to bend reality to match your narrative.

Not asking anyone to bend reality. Most analogies/metaphors aren't perfect and require good faith by the listener to see the truth in them.

"A mind is like a parachute; it doesn't work if it is not open." Some people can hear this and understand what Frank Zappa means. Others (perhaps like yourself) will sit there and whine "bUt wHaT aBoUt tHiS cAsE wHeRe iT sHoulDn't be oPeN!!"

Re. "non-issue": if you don't send privileged information across an insecure link, that information can't be intercepted on that link. If the WWW were insecure, we wouldn't use it to do things that require security. We'd use the systems the internet replaced instead (primarily interaction with real people in brick-and-mortar settings).

1997 era internet would have scared the shit out of you.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com