Ask HN: Would you use a government digital ID to sign on to HN? I am interested in the growth of official digital IDs that may one day replace “sign in by Facebook” Just wondering how many people here would sign up for a government ID and use it here ? https://github.com/eu-digital-identity-wallet |
That's for signaling/logging you "really are" someone. That has a place and can be quite useful, e.g. when that is important. I don't really think HN one of those places.
HN thrives on pseuds, for good reasons.
HN doesn't even need/use "sign in by Facebook". HN is quite simple, and it works well enough as designed.
That would be like, for OfficialProfileHackerSocial.com or something. It could work, but it would no longer be HN.
Unless it's to do official government business like taxes, I won't use any website requiring official digital ID.
If that means I can't use most of the internet, so be it.
Asking for linked accounts, I chose the V.A. and thus began a round of uploading, and then social security number, at which point I just logged out.
I trust nobody and nothing at this point.
Send me snail mail.
As in, privacy is not secrecy. Privacy is the politeness of our neighbours, not their ignorance. Do we think people will stop being polite for cash. Of course which is why now we need (solution X/Y/Z)
In general, my (personal) take is simple - if you aren’t willing to say something with your name on, don’t say it. The usual exceptions are
- free speech (you are free from political consequences, just not social ones. If you live in an unfree society, tech is not the problem)
- mistaking secrecy for privacy
- liking anonymity because it frees us from social consequences
(I am not trying to strawman anyone, and honestly interested)