It is a measure of human hubris that we fail to note the fact of animal intelligence that leads to their mimicing us. Another common example of this is the tendency of cats to become vocal and develop novel utterances as a result of observing human speech and interaction. Any keen observer will note that cats. left on their own will not develop such behavior. Upon observing and interacting with humans, at first a cat will simply meow in an utterly feline way, but then it will begin to experiment with varous gargling and purr/meow vocalizations. Finally, of course, there's the famous "silent meow", performed solely for the benefit of a human audience.

Given free reign, most authoritarians will opt for the most egregious display of power they can muster. Their goal is to intimidate all who might question or oppose them, even within their own ranks or among their allies. Of course, such as an Edward Snowden is to be nipped in the bud. Furthering this agenda is the fact that SWAT teams burn huge amounts of money on each outing, requiring larger budgets and thereby aggregating more power to the commanders. It is a vicious circle owned and managed by those who profit from it. Unfortunately, that condition has developed in many of society's institutions, such as Wall Street or Congress.

Whether excessive medical tests or excessive surveillance, the minions happily promote it to ensure their job security. If the patient or the society suffers, well, that's okay. Perhaps a bit regrettable, but okay.

Ultimately, a society that strenuously promotes competition also engenders a mercenary attitude. So, you see, the excesses of Wall Street are not that far removed from the excesses of the NSA, or Microsoft, to pick but a very few examples.

Analysis and logical thought are more than sidelined by media and society; they're actively discouraged. "News" organizations that push innuendo and fabrications as fact, advertising that teaches flash and dazzle trump substance, constant distraction touted as a desirable lifestyle, all lead to minds challenged by any concrete logic. It takes a village to create a scientist.

I'm in a similar boat. The crux of the problem, I believe, is that prospective employers aren't as concerned with what you have done as with what you will do. Toward that end I would suggest you generate new creative output. Post tutorials, engage in fora and such; show that you are still active and committed to productive engagement.

Whenever data is brought into a system, the system is subject to attack. Whether from a network connection or distribution media, exploits have always used whatever avenue of infection was available. HTML5 or JavaScript cannot change that fact.

The ease with which an exploit can be fashioned is largely dependant on the level of access given the attack vector and the complexity of the code governing that vector. From Autoplay to VNC, the more control given the remote source, the more potential for manipulation.

As we demand more from web applications and the technologies that enable them, we will open avenues of exploitation, almost by definition. New demands on developers, engineers and designers will be a natural result of this.

On the bright side, this likely means a richer employment environment for web professionals; the flip side is it probably means more jobs for web hacks, too.

Plutocrats' roadkill.

... doth make strange bedfellows, eh wot?

No, I'm afraid that wouldn't fit in a tweet.

... when geeks were bold
and punch-cards weren't invented
we drank our joe
by the warm tube glow
and went on quite contented.

... to think that financial institutions are very serious about security. Their losses are covered by the consumer, so getting their hands on the consumer's money takes a much higher priority than protecting it. Of course, they justify it as "convenience" for the consumer, but it really all about the convenience for them.