All Questions
Tagged with off-topic or allowed-questions
76 questions
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How can I improve this qu to get it reopened?
How secure is matrix multiplication when used as general purpose irreversible hashing?
I spent quite a bit of time making this question, coming up with a proof of concept and formatting it for ...
- 111
1
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Are requirement analysis on-topic here?
As we know, cryptanalysis questions are off-topic here - there's little value of a single decrypted plaintext to the larger community. (This excludes general cryptanalysis technique questions of ...
- 9,795
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2
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Are NFT questions on topic on crypto.stackexchange?
I couldn’t think of a better site for it, but seems no question on the topic so far.
If they are, to what extent or in what regards?
- 101
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It is allowed to ask "Big List" questions?
In Mathoverflow, people can ask
Big List questions which are "questions designed to generate a "big list" of certain results, examples, conjectures, etc. via many individual answers, ...
- 2,635
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Would questions asking for "formal verification" tools on-topic?
As asked in the question, this post asks the topicallity of "formal verification" tools.
I realize I have little experience with "formal verification" and I don't fully grasp its ...
- 9,795
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Which cryptocurrency sites are there on Stack Exchange and everywhere else?
We've got an upcoming close reason about cryptocurrency sites. However, instead of closing down questions we may want to migrate them or point out the resource to the user. That's more helpful than ...
- 94.5k
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Allow Crypto.stackexchange.com to offer a basic peer review functionality?
I know that it is possible to ask specific questions about cryptography in this site, and that generic questions are discouraged as it is not clear how to answer them (effectively general questions ...
- 573
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147
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How should questions be handled involving code?
(Full disclosure: This is a Q&A that was requested from me to document our current policies on handling questions involving code.)
So the question:
Assume I am looking at a question that involves ...
- 46.4k
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Should we allow generic questions about block chain?
You may or may not have noticed that BitCoin.SE and Ethereum.SE have narrowed their scope. Nowadays that means that they only accept questions that are about their specific crypto currency and block ...
- 94.5k
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2
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93
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If I'm searching pictures to illustrate some crypto primitives? Can I ask it on th SE?
For example, a good picture to illustrate ZK proofs. Should I ask on the SE? Or in the Meta-SE?
- 2,635
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4
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129
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There is no catch-all off-topic close reason
Most sites have an off-topic close reason stating that the question is not on-topic according to the help center, as a catch-all when the more common specific close reasons aren't relevant. We used to ...
- 15.5k
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Is cryptosystem recommendation on-topic?
I'm writing some code that needs to run with as small a footprint as possible, because it's on an embedded device. I want to encrypt its communications. I'm trying to find a good, resource-unintensive ...
- 109
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188
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Are we allowed to illustrate questions about cryptographic algorithms with executable code?
According to @Maeher, we are not allowed to illustrate questions on crypto.stackexchange.com with executable code—such questions are permissible only on stackoverflow.com:
https://chat.stackexchange....
- 49.5k
0
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3
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111
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inappropriate migrations of crypto questions to stackoverflow
Consider this question:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/56186844/generating-hchacha20-internal-state-with-existant-chacha20-implementation
How is that question off topic when reusing blowfish ...
- 2,959
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Should we change our response to questions asking for recommendations?
Every once in a while (new) users ask for recommendations for learning about cryptography, i.e. this question.
These recommendations include:
Literature
Books
Articles
PDF
Exercises
Webpages
...
- 6,511
2
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2
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37
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What to do with non-specific questions about a specific crypto subject?
This recent question RSA-OAEP Padding scheme is about a specific crypto subject, but does not ask for something specific beyond "suggestions", making it borderline off-topic.
I suggested reading an ...
fgrieuMod
- 146k
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4
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758
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Are questions asking what [crypto term] is and used for on-topic?
The question What is a Pedersen commitment? was closed as off-topic, with justification that is is a "Requests for literature, software or similar recommendations", when I do not see that it is.
I ...
fgrieuMod
- 146k
12
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1
answer
149
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Should we allow crypto-specific tool related questions?
Some tools are so specific to crypto that it may well be that this Q/A site has the best knowledge about those tools. These are mainly tools for crypt-analysis such as tools to test randomness or ...
- 94.5k
3
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1
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66
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When is it approriate to include code in an answer?
I occasionally include functional code (usually C99) in answers, as an argument or illustration of my point.
What should be the limits to that ?
For example, I'm taking this comment as a challenge, ...
fgrieuMod
- 146k
1
vote
1
answer
30
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Should we generally require hardware-related questions to specify specs?
I've just stumbled over one of our hardware-related Q&As again and it reminded me of something that always itches me when it comes to missing hardware specs.
For examle, How fast a middle-class ...
- 18.1k
6
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0
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157
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How to ask for telltale signs that quantum computers become danger to classical cryptography?
I recently proposed this question: "Telltale signs that quantum computers become danger to classical cryptography?". It was closed as "primarily opinion based".
How can the question be modified to ...
fgrieuMod
- 146k
7
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2
answers
304
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Do we want bitcoin/cryptocurrency related questions? A cryptocurrency tag?
This question is inspired by this recent comment.
My first thought in response to this was to create a cryptocurrency tag.
However, we have been receiving a lot of questions here about bitcoin/...
- 19.9k
5
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4
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154
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RWC is around the corner, will you be there and want to be greeted?
As I'm sure you're all aware by now, Real World Crypto 2018 (RWC'18) is around the corner, starting on the 10th of January.
Now I know many of us will be there, so I'm posting this question, for ...
- 46.4k
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1
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Is it OK to ask an unanswered question again, but written better?
I am new to this forum, so still feeling out the rules. I have asked a question and I fear I have added too much detail, where the actual question has got lost (this was pointed out to me in the ...
6
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4
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216
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Should we rethink our position related to questions about cryptographic software and libraries?
On a regular base, we receive questions related to the usage and/or inner workings of cryptography-related software and/or libraries.
Seven randomly picked examples of many:
OpenPGP Public-Key ...
- 18.1k
8
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1
answer
145
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How can we modify our close reason and help center texts to allow "some" coding questions?
We recently had the following question: Timing vulnerability of byte array equality test?
quote:
Would the following code to test MAC equality leak timing information ?
...
- 18.1k
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2
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42
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Where can I post / engage with the community regarding 'for fun' projects
I have been working on a 'for fun' crypto project and I wanted to share it with the community for input and discussion. It's fairly open-ended, so not a good fit for here.
Where and how can i ...
- 187
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1
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219
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Can crypto.SE help with implementing a secure protocol?
Having lurked here for a while, I have a problem understanding how crypto.SE can help someone in the real world, other than academically. I've learnt a lot about aspects of cryptography and some of ...
- 15.7k
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306
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(When) are reference requests actually on-topic here?
I recently realized that we have some contradictory documentation on our site (and, probably, contradictory beliefs and opinions among users) about the topicality of questions asking for off-site ...
- 46.5k
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3
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117
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Do we want to allow questions asking for random test vectors?
I recently stumbled upon a question asking for the calculation of a random test vector:
An example of CCM - AES Mode
need to test if my AES CCM mode works correctly, but I don't find any ...
- 18.1k
0
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0
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30
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Is it appropriate to post algorithm designs here for review and comment? [duplicate]
Is it appropriate to post a design of an algorithm to be reviewed and commented on if I provide enough information about it (drawings, technical details)?
- 425
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3
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125
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Suggestion for policy of banning questions
I am writing this with my own banned question in mind.
As a suggestion for ban policy:
When a mod decides to ban certain questions which are related to the field or expertise of your site but for ...
- 131
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53
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Is asking for help with new proofs on-topic?
Is it appropriate and on-topic to ask for help with provable security?
For example, would it be reasonable to ask for technical assistance in applying the Leftover Hash Lemma to show that a sum is ...
- 46
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Is it OK to make large changes in an off-topic question one did not ask, in an attempt to salvage it?
Is it OK to make large changes in an off-topic question one did not ask, in an attempt to salvage it?
Motivating context: this recent question asked for the preimage resistance of a custom hash ...
fgrieuMod
- 146k
12
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3
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244
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How to deal with ransomware questions?
We have specific questions asking about breaking ransomware for CryptoLocker, CryptoWall, and now *.[[email protected]].wallet (which may be a variant of some other ransomware.
All of these have a ...
- 38.9k
4
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56
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Are questions like "Is X covered by patents?" on-topic?
It looks like we don't have the clarification whether or not we want to allow (and if yes with which scope / restrictions) patent questions.
So the question is:
Do we want questions of the type "Is X ...
- 46.4k
7
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1
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95
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Is it OK to ask whether a cryptographic function exist?
Is it on-topic to ask whether a given cryptographic function I’m describing in my question already exists (and how such a process would be called)?
- 101
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147
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Are [crc] questions on-topic here, and should they be?
Thanks to a recent question, I realized that we have a crc tag, with 17 questions and the following tag wiki excerpt (quoted verbatim):
The Cyclic Redundant Check is non-cryptographic error-...
- 46.5k
2
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1
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47
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Do questions on whether a hash function is almost universal belong here or on math.SE?
Do questions on whether a hash function is almost universal belong here or on math.SE? They seem to belong both places: on math.SE because the question is about mathematics, and here because ...
- 4,813
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0
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57
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Canonical resources on "Identify this cipher" questions
There have been a number of questions along the lines of "what cipher was used to encrypt this data", and they have all been (rightly) closed as off-topic (as discussed here).
I think it's correct to ...
- 1,451
3
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1
answer
117
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Should we add a close reason for requests for cryptanalysis of amateur schemes?
There are a bunch of questions asking to evaluate the security of an amateur cipher, clearly without knowing pretty basic stuff on cryptography or how SE works. You all know the type of question I'm ...
- 5,032
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1
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39
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What is the best way to deal with repeated off topic questions?
Earlier this week, a request of decryption of a text encrypted with an unknown classical cipher was posted on Crypto.SE. I flagged the question as off-topic but recognized the encryption as Vigenère ...
- 1,858
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3
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148
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What is considered to be off-topic?
I'm new to this site. When I posted my first question here, I tried to follow the advice on the Tour site: My question was directly related to cryptography, and it was neither "opinion-based", nor ...
- 21
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4
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Should the linked question really be treated as a "request to analyze..."
So, we have this question, which currently has 4 close votes. All 4 are votes for "Requests for analyzing or deciphering a block of data are off-topic here, as the results are rarely useful to anyone ...
- 38.9k
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61
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Can I submit an encrypted message to see if its breakable here? [duplicate]
For some reason I have been thinking a lot about encryption lately. I'm a CS major, but an encryption novice. The skeptic in me feels making a code that uses a fairly simple algorithm would be a lot ...
3
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1
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60
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Should we allow PKI related questions?
If I take a look at our Tour this crypto site is for questions about:
Asymmetric and symmetric cryptographic algorithms
Cryptographic protocols and cryptanalysis techniques
Hashing
Entropy and ...
- 94.5k
4
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1
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77
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Can I ask a Proof Of Work related question on crypto.SE?
I am not sure how far the concept of Proof Of Work qualifies to be on topic with crypto.SE which is why I would like to ask recommenations here first.
The question is related to me not understanding ...
- 405
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120
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Are questions about identifying encryption algorithms allowed?
I have an encryption algorithm I pulled out of a binary. I'd like to identify what the algorithm is, but I don't have the requisite crypto experience. The code is "high level" C# code, as ...
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The help center indiscriminately describes “random number generation” as on-topic
From the help center page “What topics can I ask about here?”:
Random number generation.
Yet, on a recent question:
This question is squarely off-topic on crypto.SE because it is about a ...
5
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1
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98
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Is it OK to ask for program/software recommendations here?
Is it within scope of this site to ask about recommendations for crypto software, or is this site reserved for more abstract discussions about crypto algorithms or their implementation?
For example: ...
