Category talk:Security identifier types

Untitled
A disabiguation point in regard to the name of this category.

In government parlance the word security is often misused, but always implies something on the lines of keeping the bad guys from doing dangerous things to people we're (theoretically) responsible for. The Department of Homeland Security in the US uses the word in this sense.

In computer and network use, the word security is used in the same sense, though of course not with respect to people with actual bombs, or runaway vehicles finally ending their misbegotten lives against trees and buildings and abutments, and suchlikr uses. Though metaphorical ones of all classes are frequent. The book Security Engineering by Ross Anderson (Professor at Cambridge) captures this use well as do the endless series of less well written books on Computer Security or Network Security (some for Dummies and some not). In discussions about cryptography, the term is used always in the following sense, "The security of this encryption algorithm depends on determining whether the shaken-not-stirred problem belongs in P or NP. If the former, its security is a bit dicey as someone might come up with a fast algorithm for the problem and make attacks practical. If the latter, we probably good to go for a very long time."

None of these meanings have anything to do with stocks, bonds, or any other tradeable (or non-tradeable) financial instruments. Those are securities. As in "My secutities trader has turned out to be a mini-Enron, and I'm going to lose my shirt! Do these windows open?"

As one from the computer side of this multi=way divide, may I ask that the name of this category be changed to "...Securities..."? Thank you. ww 09:43, 8 March 2006 (UTC)


 * The meaning being used in the category title is explained at the wikipedia article: Security (finance). As we use it in the singular form for that article, I don't see a problem with keeping this category as is.  If you are convinced that the singular form is wrong, maybe try taking it up on Talk:Security (finance).  If they change the name of that article, I would see no problem in changing the category name to follow suit. --DDG 15:42, 8 March 2006 (UTC)