title: Is it possible to hash a password and authenticate a user client-side?
body: <p>I often make small websites and use the built in ASP.NET membership functionality in a SQL Server database, using the default "hashing" password storage method.</p>
  
  <p>I'm wondering if there's a way to authenticate a user by hashing his password on the client and not sending it in clear text over the wire without using SSL.</p>
  
  <p>I realize that this would only be applicable for users with Javascript enabled.</p>
  
  <p>Or... possibly, this would be a great built-in capability for Silverlight (is this in the Silverlight roadmap?)</p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p>EDIT:
  I'm also looking for "degrees of security."  Meaning, if there is a method that has <em>some</em> advantages over simply sending plaintext password, I'd like to know what they are and why.  </p>
  
  <p>I know there are lots of people who do small sites with logins (such as a family website or volunteering to make a site for a local cooking club) and don't see the need for purchasing SSL certificates. </p>