On Mon, Nov 9, 2020 at 1:19 PM coderman <coderman@protonmail.com> wrote:
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ On Monday, November 9, 2020 12:33 PM, Karl <gmkarl@gmail.com> wrote:
... I believe we need to set a norm of everyone using pseudonymous identities, and accessing networks via difficult-to-identify means.
The reason is that there are a wide variety of community groups right now, looking for ways to break up and add stress to other community groups. If random people can't associate your name with things as easily, you, your community, and your work, are safer.
What are your thoughts?
this is a great approach! the problem is: you need to begin this isolation *before* you need it.
For people to do that, we need an environment of spreading it, no? Also re-iterating that new people, without the resources of government surveillance, are recruited to find people of different persuasions and effect their lives.
the typical scenario is using only modest protections, getting involved in activism, and then discovering your protections inadequate.
I saw a zine in virginia a couple years ago, about new activists getting targeted. The targeters would focus on the areas without experienced activism; higher return. (i am not connected with activism these years)
once your activism and identity are compromised, it is *very* hard to undo the damage. you must *start over* with a new digital identity, adhering to operational security always. maybe move town, maybe move countries.
I used to find this easy to do on the internet, but never did it in face-to-face interactions. You have to tell people with confidence you have a different name. There are two concerns: if you are targeted, your communities could become targeted if you're not anonymous. This prevents their work. Meanwhile, if you become a critical worker among a targeted community, you could become targeted. This ruins your life forever.
even Barton Gellman had a hard time with this - always keeping his laptop with him like a digital albatross; always protecting passphrase input with blankets and towels; always separating untrustworthy files on isolated machines. and on and on and on and ...
good luck!
How do you feel about spreading the message of not using your legal name? I took the opportunity to express this, because nobody else is.
best regards,