Cyber security has become critical to ensuring public safety in the US. There’s an absence of good coherent information, and people are rightfully scared and confused. I’m drafting another article that explains cyber security principles in greater depth, but it’s not ready yet. Until then, I’ll get straight to the practical tips:

1. Encrypt your phone. Instructions from CNET. This protects someone from looking at your phone’s storage without knowing the passcode. If you only follow one step from this guide, follow this one.
2. Use Signal for communications. Messages and voice calls made through Signal are encrypted such that only the two devices communicating can read the messages. However, if you don’t encrypt your phone, then the messages can be compromised with physical access to the phone. Encrypt your phone!
3. If you think you are about to be detained by police, turn off your phone. Police can legally coerce you to touch the fingerprint scanner, but cannot legally make you divulge a passcode (source). By turning off your phone, your phone “forgets” the decryption key to the storage, thus requiring the passcode on boot. If you are participating in protests or other situations requiring elevated security, disable fingerprint scanning for sign-in.
4. Be cautious of apps you install and use a phone from a reputable manufacturer. I trust Apple and Google, but use your own discretion.

Beyond this, the usual security advice applies — don’t visit sites you don’t trust and use HTTPS where possible. Stay safe!

Important tip for those protesting: use the Signal messaging app. SMS can be intercepted, and while I don’t know of any specific threat, prevention never hurts.

(This post started off as an email to a colleague. They asked me for feedback on how to speed up an agreement on technical issues. Halfway through my response, I realized the advice I was giving was broadly useful and I wanted to write it up more thoroughly.)

So you want to write some code or do something that affects more than just you. Great! Whenever this happens, you will face three basic challenges:

1. Find the stakeholders.
2. Explain the problem to the stakeholders.
3. Listen to and address concerns that the stakeholders have.

Once you’ve done all three, you’re done! The actual work is usually straightforward once your team is supporting you.

SPOILER WARNING: I wanted to share my views on the subject matter in The Witness. By necessity, this article does discuss the ending of the game in general terms. However, I do my best to avoid talking about specifics.

When I started writing this review, it began with “I liked The Witness, BUT…” I was frustrated. I couldn’t fathom what the ending meant. What I was supposed to glean from this experience? How do the voice-overs fit together? Why was I shown this?

But then I had an epiphany: I felt this same frustration before. Many times. Every time I solved a puzzle in the game. And so I began to see the prevalent puzzle mechanic as a metaphor for the game itself. “Solving” the story isn’t the point.

I recommend The Witness. If you’re considering playing it, do it. But bear in mind that it’s not a traditional story, and you may be disappointed if you treat it that way.