On Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:56:46 -0700, John Smith
wrote:

On 8/4/2010 11:00 AM, Registered User wrote:

Nope, try an external hardware device which acts as a security key for
a specific piece of software.


A major CAD (computer assisted drafting) software company made that a
popular term for its' copy protection. Anyone coming though an industry
heavily dependent on such, and working is such a department, would
certainly share your view.

After VAX boxes and other minicomputers appeared, many types of
commercial productivity applications besides CAD tool relied on
dongles as security devices. As computers moved to the desktop this
did not change. There was even a C-64 accounting application that
required a dongle. It was primitive but effective security.

This is much the same as the term "Computer
Hacker"--used to denote one who is tops in their field; This term was
usurped by the news and now in joe-blow-six-packs minds is associated
with computer criminal. Their error.

Not quite. Journalism isn't the only field where hack writers can be
found. Quick and dirty code is often referred to by the author as a
being a quick hack. It's an acknowledgement that the code is not
particularly elegant or robust, just a temporary solution to resolve
an issue or answer a question.

If a computer professional describes them self as a hacker today
(without using the word hat), it's an admission their skills and
training could be better. Calling any computer professional a hack is
a insult.

The term was coined back in the early 70's
Nope, wrong decade.


It was coined before CAD existed.

Given CAD software has been around for almost fifty years, it appears
you're disagreeing with yourself WRT computer dongles.

and used to be applied to differing externals plugged in to differing ports of a computer.
I guess you learn something new everyday.

Apparently not you as you profess to have all the answers already.

I don't profess any such thing, you do.

I'm not the one who wrote

- quote -

It is time to end the stone age of electronics!

- end quote -

and then offered USB devices as the path to enlightenment.