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CIRCLE WITH A DOT

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  3. You may have heard that Peter Neumann passed away yesterday at the age of 93.

You may have heard that Peter Neumann passed away yesterday at the age of 93.

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  • mattblaze@federate.socialM mattblaze@federate.social

    You may have heard that Peter Neumann passed away yesterday at the age of 93.

    I cannot do his memory and legacy justice here, but I will say that his work (and friendship and support) influenced almost everything I've worked on. He was one of the first computer scientists to confront (well before it was popular to do so) the fact that computers and software are unreliable in both theory and practice.

    jayalane@mastodon.onlineJ This user is from outside of this forum
    jayalane@mastodon.onlineJ This user is from outside of this forum
    jayalane@mastodon.online
    wrote last edited by
    #11

    @mattblaze I felt so strongly when a feature I implemented was featured in the risks digest! (We emailed forgotten password in plaintext back to the user; it was the 90s!) I loved reading that and his authoritative assessment of it all.

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    • cstross@wandering.shopC cstross@wandering.shop

      @mattblaze comp.risks came as a revelation to me when I first stumbled onto the listserv in 1989.

      edbruce@infosec.exchangeE This user is from outside of this forum
      edbruce@infosec.exchangeE This user is from outside of this forum
      edbruce@infosec.exchange
      wrote last edited by
      #12

      @cstross @mattblaze I was working mainly DoD stuff then and loved all talk of digitizing the up to then mostly analog systems. Many of the issues was all the analog safety feedback mechanisms not being implemented at all in the digital controllers.

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      • mattblaze@federate.socialM mattblaze@federate.social

        You may have heard that Peter Neumann passed away yesterday at the age of 93.

        I cannot do his memory and legacy justice here, but I will say that his work (and friendship and support) influenced almost everything I've worked on. He was one of the first computer scientists to confront (well before it was popular to do so) the fact that computers and software are unreliable in both theory and practice.

        bzdev@fosstodon.orgB This user is from outside of this forum
        bzdev@fosstodon.orgB This user is from outside of this forum
        bzdev@fosstodon.org
        wrote last edited by
        #13

        @mattblaze Peter will be missed. BTW, for some years, I worked in the same building as Peter, but in a different group. He was always pleasant and, of course, highly competent.

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        • mattblaze@federate.socialM mattblaze@federate.social

          You may have heard that Peter Neumann passed away yesterday at the age of 93.

          I cannot do his memory and legacy justice here, but I will say that his work (and friendship and support) influenced almost everything I've worked on. He was one of the first computer scientists to confront (well before it was popular to do so) the fact that computers and software are unreliable in both theory and practice.

          not2b@sfba.socialN This user is from outside of this forum
          not2b@sfba.socialN This user is from outside of this forum
          not2b@sfba.social
          wrote last edited by
          #14

          @mattblaze I subscribed to his RISKS forum back in the early 80s (yes, I am old).

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          • mattblaze@federate.socialM mattblaze@federate.social

            You may have heard that Peter Neumann passed away yesterday at the age of 93.

            I cannot do his memory and legacy justice here, but I will say that his work (and friendship and support) influenced almost everything I've worked on. He was one of the first computer scientists to confront (well before it was popular to do so) the fact that computers and software are unreliable in both theory and practice.

            oclsc@mstdn.caO This user is from outside of this forum
            oclsc@mstdn.caO This user is from outside of this forum
            oclsc@mstdn.ca
            wrote last edited by
            #15

            @mattblaze I hadn't heard. His long life and contributions should be celebrated!

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            • mattblaze@federate.socialM mattblaze@federate.social

              You may have heard that Peter Neumann passed away yesterday at the age of 93.

              I cannot do his memory and legacy justice here, but I will say that his work (and friendship and support) influenced almost everything I've worked on. He was one of the first computer scientists to confront (well before it was popular to do so) the fact that computers and software are unreliable in both theory and practice.

              beachbum@mastodon.sdf.orgB This user is from outside of this forum
              beachbum@mastodon.sdf.orgB This user is from outside of this forum
              beachbum@mastodon.sdf.org
              wrote last edited by
              #16

              @mattblaze I am so sorry for your loss. May he rest in peace and his memory be a blessing.

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              • mattblaze@federate.socialM mattblaze@federate.social

                You may have heard that Peter Neumann passed away yesterday at the age of 93.

                I cannot do his memory and legacy justice here, but I will say that his work (and friendship and support) influenced almost everything I've worked on. He was one of the first computer scientists to confront (well before it was popular to do so) the fact that computers and software are unreliable in both theory and practice.

                cigitalgem@sigmoid.socialC This user is from outside of this forum
                cigitalgem@sigmoid.socialC This user is from outside of this forum
                cigitalgem@sigmoid.social
                wrote last edited by
                #17

                @mattblaze I consider PGN one of my mentors. Such an interesting fella. He will be missed...terrible puns and all.

                koehntopp@infosec.exchangeK 1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • mattblaze@federate.socialM mattblaze@federate.social

                  You may have heard that Peter Neumann passed away yesterday at the age of 93.

                  I cannot do his memory and legacy justice here, but I will say that his work (and friendship and support) influenced almost everything I've worked on. He was one of the first computer scientists to confront (well before it was popular to do so) the fact that computers and software are unreliable in both theory and practice.

                  mattblaze@federate.socialM This user is from outside of this forum
                  mattblaze@federate.socialM This user is from outside of this forum
                  mattblaze@federate.social
                  wrote last edited by
                  #18

                  Peter’s NYT obituary: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/17/obituaries/peter-g-neumann-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.jVA.pDm5.QUlwAMJBQtDV

                  darwinwoodka@mastodon.socialD 1 Reply Last reply
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                  • mattblaze@federate.socialM mattblaze@federate.social

                    Peter’s NYT obituary: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/17/obituaries/peter-g-neumann-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.jVA.pDm5.QUlwAMJBQtDV

                    darwinwoodka@mastodon.socialD This user is from outside of this forum
                    darwinwoodka@mastodon.socialD This user is from outside of this forum
                    darwinwoodka@mastodon.social
                    wrote last edited by
                    #19

                    @mattblaze a giant gone. Damn

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                    • davebiff@mas.toD davebiff@mas.to

                      @mattblaze His RISKS digest was always interesting (and often alarming). RIP

                      bzdev@fosstodon.orgB This user is from outside of this forum
                      bzdev@fosstodon.orgB This user is from outside of this forum
                      bzdev@fosstodon.org
                      wrote last edited by
                      #20

                      @davebiff @mattblaze Peter once told us about an incident where an X-ray machine killed a patient. Its snazzy GUI got a lot of testing for sequences of inputs, but when used by a technician, the inputs came in much faster. There was a race condition resulting in an inappropriate configuration. Peter mentioned the lack of sanity checks - the patient complained about feeling warm and the technician ignored that, passing it off as babbling.

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                      • cigitalgem@sigmoid.socialC cigitalgem@sigmoid.social

                        @mattblaze I consider PGN one of my mentors. Such an interesting fella. He will be missed...terrible puns and all.

                        koehntopp@infosec.exchangeK This user is from outside of this forum
                        koehntopp@infosec.exchangeK This user is from outside of this forum
                        koehntopp@infosec.exchange
                        wrote last edited by
                        #21

                        @cigitalgem @mattblaze
                        RISKS Digest was most likely my initial exposure to IT security, back in the late 80s.
                        What a legend.

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