Issue 2

In this issue:

Two Tokens and a Cat
working with two-factor authentication
by Zoe Landon

Minimizing Your Trust Footprint
by Emily St.

Reasoning About Opaque Algorithms
by Rachel Shadoan

Why Random Variables
are Neither Random nor Variable
statistics and quantum cryptography
by Aditya Mukerjee

From JS to JewelBots
an interview with Sara Chipps
by Aurelia Moser

Ramping Up
disabled feminisms and hacking
by Khairani Barokka

Everyday Carry
by Liz Henry

Community Announcements

Call for Contributors for Issue 3

Bonus! How to Teach Your Kids about InfoSec by Heidi Waterhouse

From the Editor…

I’m writing from a cold, sunny afternoon in Portland in late November. We’re officially in the “holiday season”, whatever that means for each of us. If you’re thinking about shopping (for yourself or others) a Yubikey or a personal network-attached storage device would both be on-topic for this issue. This magazine makes a nice gift, too: we now have gift cards available in our online shop.

This issue started out with “security” as the theme. Then I thought, ‘if we’re going to talk about security we should talk about privacy’. Once we were covering security and privacy, transparency seemed like another obvious direction. So the issue has a little of all of those things, from understanding two-factor authentication to analyzing the systems of trust and algorithmic computation that shape our digital (and other) lives. Plus a great explanation of what’s really going on with random numbers.

The other clear theme in this issue is representation. It’s so essential to the mission of The Recompiler to look at who participates in technology, and to be able to see ourselves in the faces and voices that are presented. We have two pieces on hacking and disability, the first from Indonesian writer and artist Khairani Barokka, followed by this issue’s “Everyday Carry” column from Liz Henry, one of the people who introduced me to the idea of ‘disability hacking’ in the first place. An interview with Sara Chipps of JewelBots addresses participation from a different angle: how can tools and toys help build hacking cultures among young girls?

We’re also exploring representation through the use of photos from Women of Color in Tech Chat (#wocintech chat for short), an online group formed to support women of color in the tech industry. The stock photo series these photos are drawn from is a great way to support the group’s mission. As their website says, “[We ask] that you use these photos to show a different representation of all women in tech.”

Finally, you may have noticed the cover art from Amy Wibowo. I asked her to spin the issue’s themes in a Sailor Moon-esque “magical girl” direction, and she delivered this adorable work.

Thanks to all the contributors for Issue 2: working with you is one of the best parts of my job. Thank you to Stephanie and Cat for your stellar editing work. And thanks to Heather Bree for all your help with the artwork.

Stay warm (or cool, as local climates require),
Audrey

Credits for Issue 2

Published and edited by Audrey Eschright
Edited by Stephanie Morillo and Cat Poole
Cover art by Amy Wibowo

Women of Color in Tech Chat photos used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license