The myths of web accessibility. Slashdot reviews Constructing Accessible Web Sites, by Jim Thatcher et al. I have personally read this book, and recommend it to everyone. [..]
The last myth (“Web accessibility only helps people with disabilities”) is the easiest, now that search engines rule the world. The next time someone stands up in a design meeting and claims that you don’t have any blind customers, ask them if they care about search engine placement. Then remind them that Google is a blind user who reads the entire Internet every month, and then reports what it sees to millions of its closest friends. [dive into mark]
So, let me summarize. One-time pads are useless for all but very specialized applications, primarily historical and non-computer. And almost any system that uses a one-time pad is insecure. It will claim to use a one-time pad, but actually use a two-time pad (oops). Or it will claims to use a one-time pad, but actually use a steam cipher. Or it will use a one-time pad, but won't deal with message re-synchronization and re-transmission attacks. Or it will ignore message authentication, and be susceptible to bit-flipping attacks and the like. Or it will fall prey to keystream reuse attacks. Etc., etc., etc.
The most important design decisions you can make for your handheld solution are those that allow users to enjoy running your applications, because these same people will be buying your applications. Everything else is secondary. As handheld devices continue to incorporate innovative new features, software designers must always be mindful of the end user, and create responsive applications.
