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 Even if you specifically don’t have a high need for privacy, routinely using privacy tools — from ad-blockers and privacy VPNs to privacy focused messaging and ToR — is a huge help to people who DO have that need Normalizing the use of privacy tools helps protect access to them, by undermining arguments that “only criminals use X”. It also helps to make anti-privacy restrictions less tenable for corporations, as they risk blocking or restricting too much legitimate/customer traffic.
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  @calcifer sorry I'm running late im just getting my shongles shit at walgreens real quick People seem to really have bought into the capitalist version of open source where software is still a product that requires support and marketing and a roadmap and exists to serve a user community separate and apart from the project. But a whole lot of open source is really just a sharing economy. It’s devs doing something they found useful and deciding to share it rather than hoard it. Those devs don’t owe anyone extra labor just because they chose to share.
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@calcifer Imagine if scientists hoarded their knowledge until they could make something practical out of it, or until they were sure that they could answer every possible follow up question, even if those questions were unrelated to their initial research.  @calcifer@hackers.town hm  @calcifer I agree, but I'm really replying because I'm excited about your handle. My beagle is called Calcifer. :) If you were to make a low-maintenance, safe for indoor use "eternal flame" (as in, designed to be fueled/maintained without extinguishing the flame), how would you go about it? |
Gregory's Server
There are also knock-on social effects of normalizing privacy. If using Signal, for example, is seen as just normal behavior, then it’s less likely to freak out an abuser when their victim uses it “for work”. If private email services are normal, then it’s less likely a corrupt org will flag it as whistleblower activity.
Do these advantages also mean it’s harder to find and prevent malicious activity and crime? Yep. And that sucks. But it’s a good trade: I’d happily miss a few criminals if it means protecting good people’s ability to escape danger or hold power accountable.
There are also knock-on social effects of normalizing privacy. If using Signal, for example, is seen as just normal behavior, then it’s less likely to freak out an abuser when their victim uses it “for work”. If private email services are normal, then it’s less likely a corrupt org will flag it as whistleblower activity.
@calcifer "Only criminals use X" is becoming more accurate by the day, owner of the site included. :-P