2023 Reddit Refugee

On Decentralization:

“We no longer have choice. We no longer have voice. And what is left when you have no choice and no voice? Exit.” - Andreas Antonopoulos

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  • 30 Comments
Joined 2 years ago
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Cake day: June 15th, 2023

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  • HTTPS with no VPN:

    You trust the web site to encrypt your data if and only if the web site has properly implemented encryption along with encrypted DNS traffic. Sometimes you make a connection to HTTP before you’re redirected to HTTPS. Your ISP can see what web sites you visit, but the ISP can’t see what you’re doing because the traffic is encrypted so long as encryption is implemented correctly. ISP knows you went to https://www.website.com/.

    Conclusion: Your ISP knows exactly what web sites you visit, but can’t see what you’re doing on the web site (if encryption is properly configured by the web site provider).

    HTTP or HTTPS with trusted VPN (e.g., Mullvad):

    You trust the VPN provider. Your connections are encrypted entirely. Your ISP can’t see what web sites you’re visiting nor can they interpret your traffic.

    Conclusion: Your ISP is completely blind to what you’re doing and where you’re going.

    ExpressVPN:

    "HTTPS is essential for security, but it can only do so much. Don’t fall into a false sense of security—there are limitations to HTTPS protection:

    • HTTPS doesn’t hide what websites you visit. Your ISP or network provider can still see which sites you access, even if they can’t view what you do on them.
    • HTTPS won’t protect data stored on a website. If a site suffers a data breach, HTTPS won’t prevent hackers from accessing your saved information.
    • HTTPS cannot encrypt all your internet traffic. It only secures connections between your browser and a site—not your entire internet activity.
    • You have no control over HTTPS. The protocol is set by website owners, so if you visit a website without HTTPS protection, there is no way for you to enable it." Source: https://www.expressvpn.com/blog/https-vs-vpn/

    PureVPN:

    "HTTPS:

    • Encrypts data between your browser and websites.
    • Protects against eavesdropping on web transactions.
    • Activated automatically with ‘https://’ VPN:
    • Encrypts and routes all internet traffic, including from apps.
    • Protects the entire internet connection. A VPN is used to establish an encrypted connection - also referred to as tunnel - between your device and unsecure network like the Internet. Since all your traffic goes through the VPN’s server rather than that of your ISP, nobody can find out what you’re up to online. What HTTPS Cannot Do?
    • Hide Your IP Address: HTTPS doesn’t mask your IP address. Websites and your ISP can still see your IP and location, whereas a VPN hides your IP, making your online presence more anonymous.
    • Encrypt All Internet Traffic: HTTPS only secures data between your browser and websites. A VPN encrypts all your internet traffic, including apps and services outside your browser.
    • Prevent ISP Tracking: Your ISP can still see which sites you visit with HTTPS, they just can’t see the exact content. A VPN encrypts all your traffic, preventing ISPs from tracking your web activities. https://www.purevpn.com/blog/https-vs-vpn/

    Here are more sources I won’t quote, but you can read:



  • Use of a VPN depends on your privacy threat model.

    Using VPN at all times while using the internet like one normally does is beneficial only to the extent that you encrypt your traffic and prevent your ISP from spying on you… mostly. But if you’re logging into known accounts associated with you, then it’s a moot point. Your traffic is encrypted, but your use of services leaves an easy to follow cookie trail of where you’ve been.

    If your privacy threat model is much more serious, then you wouldn’t login to any known accounts while on your VPN. You wouldn’t use services that can be pinpointed to you.

    Hence, use a VPN to your discretion. If you generally don’t want your ISP spying on you, keeping it on is always best practice. If you have more things to hide, you’d want to use Tor while on VPN and of course don’t use any services that could be linked to you.


  • Nothing much you can do except make it harder for nefarious parties to get your information. If you’re in the U.S. most of your information is public. With two pieces of info about you, you’re one Google search away from your name, physical address, schools you went to, where you’re employed, etc. You can’t stop this, so just make it harder when your data does get leaked.

    Here are my best practices:

    • Own my email domain name and use it for generating unlimited random aliases.
    • Update old accounts using a random alias.
    • If an old account email can’t be updated or changed, spoil the information in their system by using fake info and then abandon the account (Anon O’Moose, 1234 Fake Street, Beverly Hills, CA 90210).
    • One alias per account - never shared.
    • Unique passwords via a password manager (e.g., passwords like ‘Obtuse4-Entangle-Matrix’).
    • Leverage virtual credit card numbers if your provider offers it. One virtual card per account - never shared.
    • Create accounts only if you have no choice.
    • Submit your formal request in Opt Out Prescreen to minimise the sale of your info.
    • Delete all centralised social media accounts. Instruct people to text or call you.
    • Switch to Linux completely if you can. Get off Windows and Mac where possible.
    • Get off iOS if you can and try to run a proper trusted degoogled OS where possible. You can experiment with Linux phones in the future but right now it’s not mature enough yet.
    • Get all your data on prem only. If you choose to backup some data for protection online, encrypt it before you upload it.
    • If your phone number has been leaked and you’re getting multi factor code requests, excessive spam, etc. consider getting a new phone number. Then update all your accounts to point to the new phone number. Once satisfied, deactivate your old phone number.




  • Do it. It’s very straightforward.

    • Buy a domain.
    • Edit the DNS records to make your provider work with your domain.
    • In Tuta (or even an alias service like Addy), create new emails using your custom domain.
    • Done.

    Whenever you need to switch providers such as if Tuta decides to support fascism like Proton’s CEO, you can easily switch to a new provider. Then add your domain to the provider, update your DNS records to point to your new provider, click Save. Done. And you won’t have to change your email addresses ever again.



  • I never really think about the perspective that others like or enjoy the smell of tobacco. I’ve smelled Black and Mild before and that was tolerable enough, but still not appreciated.

    I dislike the smell. But I also actively avoid tobacco and others smoking, primarily for health reasons we’re all aware of. However, tobacco, marijuana, etc. smells are migraine-triggers for me. If I’m around it too long, I could spiral into a terrible migraine that takes days to recover where I’m bed ridden and vomiting for at least a day. Migraines be no fun.





  • CatZoomies@lemmy.worldtomemes@lemmy.world*Permanently Deleted*
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    7 months ago

    Taylor Swift is known very well for donating. She donates millions to food banks in every city she’s toured. She also donates on a lot of those gofundme fundraisers, one in which particular really moved her and she penned the song “Ronan”. An incredibly sad and tragic song that will make parents cry, knowing she’s singing about a baby that died despite medical complications, brought Ronan’s mom at some of her concerts, and of course donated to the cause. She regularly funds gofundme campaigns, so overall she seems like a pretty decent person.

    I hate the use of her private jet and constant flights, but if you’re that big and hated by some people, then she can’t take regular airplanes because she can be assaulted and murdered. I wish there was some mega jumbo jet that was shared by the rich and did stops in certain cities, like as if it was “public transit” for the rich. That would be great because at least the uber wealthy would be a bit safer from being murdered that way while also certainly cutting down on significant emissions. I’d still hate it and want them to cut back more, but it would be no contest how beneficial sharing one jet versus 100 of them constantly flying everywhere would be. Some of these rich assholes fly insupplies from other countries, exotic food, etc. That pisses me off.

    Taylor shouldn’t be a billionaire and I’d love for her to donate and help people out more than she’s already doing. Maybe one day people will see Swift is a bit better than other billionaires, having worked her ass off during the Eras Tour while also gifting millions of dollars to all the dancers and her staff that supported the concert. I went to her Eras tour concert with my spouse, and holy hell that was a phenomenal concert. She basically danced and sang constantly for the entire 3.5 hours or whatever. And she did that back to back for two years? Absolutely insane how much work that would take. I don’t think she gets enough credit, as I do love her music but she’s very hated for some reason.

    Taylor should not have that much wealth. It’s insane. I hope she continues to give it away and donate even more than she’s already doing. Would love if she funded progressive parties and stuff like that, to give us more of a choice than the Democrats or the Pure Evil party. Maybe one day she’d be held in high regard like Dolly Parton, but let’s see. For now, I think she’s “one of the better billionaires”, but she shouldn’t be one. They shouldn’t have all the wealth.

    Edit, made some slight corrections as I whipped this up on mobile.