15 Oct
2019
15 Oct
'19
6:33 a.m.
One project I did get to try was to see if I could vectorize the UNIX crypt routine.
There was a common joke at the time that if a hacker had a Cray, he might be able to
derive a lot of passwords. Since my job a the time had officially computer security in
it, I got to try. It wasn’t as much fun as converting the SGI flight simulator to use
TCP/IP so that when 6PM rolled around every day all the SGI’s at the lab went into a
massive dog fight. I remember being collared at an IETC meeting at NASA Ames and being
forced to give them the mods. I figured I killed productivity at NASA for quite a bit
with that move.