🚀 go-pugleaf

>>I wouldn't quite call Cliff a leading authority. He has gained the
>>reputation in the popular press as an authority in the field. 
>>However, he is not a true authority. 
>
>How many papers do you have to publish before you become a *true* authority?

Get real. The computer science field is awash with individuals who have pub-
lished dozens of papers, directed symposiums, and are widely recognized in
the trade and popular press who haven't a clue as to what they are doing. I've
had to work with many of them, and it's a massive pain in the sitdown.

Which says nothing about Cliff, of course. I'm just saying that successful
publishing doesn't mean anything at all. If you think it does, you are just
demonstrating how little experience you have in the field.

A true authority in a field is someone who can demonstrate their competance
and win the respect of their peers. I'm not familiar with Cliff, but it would
appear that he has won a certain amount of respect from his peers. Which is a
lot more than I would give most of the folks I've seen talking about computer
security in the popular press.

<csg>