chmod 777 isn't safe

[fingermark]

I read in the docs that the path to upload the images to should be chmod 777.  my directory is on a shared server that won't allow me to change the owner or group name.  changing my directory permissions to 777 is unsafe.  are there any hacks for this code that allow you to upload to a password protected 777 directory or what are some other alternatives?

[Joachim Müller]

Why chmod 777 is NOT a security risk