Too Long; Didn't Read
Encoding is simply a way of representing data in a specific format. Encoding formats are only useful because they give computers and humans protocols to view and process raw binary data. With free and easy to use encryption libraries available in all major programming languages, there is no excuse to try to bake your own. Encryption is a specific subset of encoding where the encoded messages can only be accessed by authorized parties (the ones holding the decryption keys) Encoding schemes offer absolutely no security. Ironically, it also probably would have taken less time to implement.
Share Your Thoughts