Comments on: Mint Programmers Need to Learn How to Do Math http://kurt.karmalab.org/2007/10/08/programmers-need-to-learn-how-to-do-math/ Schrade.Blog Fri, 09 Jul 2010 06:07:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Jack @ The Tech Teapot http://kurt.karmalab.org/2007/10/08/programmers-need-to-learn-how-to-do-math/comment-page-1/#comment-142 Jack @ The Tech Teapot Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 urn:uuid:{a.guid}#comment-142 It does seem that many financial software companies have problems with math. The UK version of QuickBooks quite often doesn't calculate VAT (our version of sales tax) properly. That's why we dumped it. You would have thought that Intuit might have bothered with a few unit tests wouldn't you? It seems marginally more forgiveable in a start-up but only just. It does seem that many financial software companies have problems with math. The UK version of QuickBooks quite often doesn’t calculate VAT (our version of sales tax) properly. That’s why we dumped it.

You would have thought that Intuit might have bothered with a few unit tests wouldn’t you?

It seems marginally more forgiveable in a start-up but only just.

]]> By: Ceesaxp http://kurt.karmalab.org/2007/10/08/programmers-need-to-learn-how-to-do-math/comment-page-1/#comment-143 Ceesaxp Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 urn:uuid:{a.guid}#comment-143 @Jack: Well, VAT is similar, yet different from sales tax. And I am not very much surprised that Quicken, being a US creation, does not handle VAT well... (Not that it is difficult to, mind you) @Jack: Well, VAT is similar, yet different from sales tax. And I am not very much surprised that Quicken, being a US creation, does not handle VAT well… (Not that it is difficult to, mind you)

]]> By: Jason Lefkowitz http://kurt.karmalab.org/2007/10/08/programmers-need-to-learn-how-to-do-math/comment-page-1/#comment-144 Jason Lefkowitz Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 urn:uuid:{a.guid}#comment-144 "It seems marginally more forgiveable in a start-up but only just." Does it? I would say that the one thing I would require a financial management package to do well is math! “It seems marginally more forgiveable in a start-up but only just.”

Does it? I would say that the one thing I would require a financial management package to do well is math!

]]> By: Dave Fayram http://kurt.karmalab.org/2007/10/08/programmers-need-to-learn-how-to-do-math/comment-page-1/#comment-145 Dave Fayram Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 urn:uuid:{a.guid}#comment-145 Before mint was open, I found a critical XSS vulnerability that allowed me to pretty much do anything JS could off their site. I sent them a semi-weaponized exploit, and their first response was, "Well this server doesn't have passwords on it, so it doesn't matter if they hack it." This was Mint.com's primary domain. It had a huge XSS hole. And their immediate response was, "This does not impact our security." They fixed it the next day and grilled me for how I found the bug. Before mint was open, I found a critical XSS vulnerability that allowed me to pretty much do anything JS could off their site. I sent them a semi-weaponized exploit, and their first response was, “Well this server doesn’t have passwords on it, so it doesn’t matter if they hack it.”

This was Mint.com’s primary domain. It had a huge XSS hole. And their immediate response was, “This does not impact our security.”

They fixed it the next day and grilled me for how I found the bug.

]]> By: Observer http://kurt.karmalab.org/2007/10/08/programmers-need-to-learn-how-to-do-math/comment-page-1/#comment-146 Observer Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 urn:uuid:{a.guid}#comment-146 What do sleazy and semi-fradulent marketing tricks have to do with math? I'm sure someone there knows exactly how many people they'll fool with this little trick, and how much money it'll earn them. What do sleazy and semi-fradulent marketing tricks have to do with math? I’m sure someone there knows exactly how many people they’ll fool with this little trick, and how much money it’ll earn them.

]]> By: Rafael http://kurt.karmalab.org/2007/10/08/programmers-need-to-learn-how-to-do-math/comment-page-1/#comment-147 Rafael Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 urn:uuid:{a.guid}#comment-147 Most of the people that use Mint, or this type of financial applications does not know a lot of maths either. Most of the people that use Mint, or this type of financial applications does not know a lot of maths either.

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