Robert Rowley

Code is art,
Security is safety,
Collaboration is humanity.

  • Truthiness in math.

    People like to say math is a universal truth, a truth so simple we teach it to our youth. Listen children, listen to me.One plus two always equals three. Missing a little information is not a problem, The answer is clear, no need for a tantrum. Math is not limited to the simple and easy […]

  • Patching add-comments

    Never assume, always confirm. The most prevalent security bug in web applications is the venerable XSS. Bug bounty hunters can spot them a mile away and they carry a hefty impact, so they should not be ignored. Many developers assume someone else will handle protection against XSS for them, and kindly wake up to a […]

  • Patching webmaster-tools-verification

    APIs are one of the best features of web applications. I see API accessibility empowering the web as a back-end tool for many applications, and this makes web application security forever relevant. Because insecure API endpoints, makes for insecure applications. The webmaster-tools-verification plugin included a useful feature for users. Cleaning up after itself if disabled. […]

  • Patching wsm-downloader

    Remember never to trust user inputs. It’s a common mistake, when writing a web application you are focused on building and making the application work. So, you input the values you expect. “What could go wrong?” Doesn’t cross your mind, you are focused on building. With the wsm-downloader plugin, the developer added a feature to […]

  • Patching thecartpress

    This was the first plugin I unsolicited wrote a patch for. The bug was bad news. That why it caught my attention. But, I was too late. This e-commerce plugin had a handy feature, users could create account upon checkout. Most shopping carts do this, it is a convenient feature I know I have used […]

  • Open Source Psychopomping.

    I have become a psychopomp, or at least I act as one for open source projects. Psychopomps are personifications created by people to help them come to terms with a difficult truth. Death: the Grim Reaper, Charon the ferryman, Yama, 黑白無常, Guede Nibo, Xolotl are examples. Religions and/or folk tales use these characters to tackle […]

  • New Ideas and Silencing Opinions.

    Every society prevents some thoughts/feelings from being expressed or understood by the individuals. Not to be confused with taboos, these are thoughts which naturally did not exist in a culture due to circumstance. Fromm gives us an example in “Zen Buddhism and Psychoanalysis” pg. 102 There are simply things that are “not done” [in cultures.] […]

  • Understanding Injury, Physical and Mental.

    To help better understand how a person suffering from a mental health issue, you can think of it like any other injury in the body. It takes time to heal, and if the injury is severe enough it may come back later due when you put too much pressure on the injured part. Many years […]

  • Pavolvian effects from advertiser’s nets

    Sadistic social scientists would be wise to keep an eye on their fingers when extending their hand.