Comment by AnthonyMouse
5 days ago
This seems like the wrong end of the system to fix the problem. Someone saying "we don't log your IP address" isn't something you can easily verify, so the promise doesn't mean much because if they suck they're just going to lie about it.
What you need instead is to make it easy and common for people to use browsers that resist fingerprinting, VPNs/Tor, custom email addresses per-account, etc. Because then instead of claiming to not log your information, they simply do not have it.
The biggest thing we need is a better way to pay someone over the internet without them knowing who you are.
"The biggest thing we need is a better way to pay someone over the internet without them knowing who you are."
I've been saying that for years. Buy a prepaid card for cash at say the supermarket with xyz value on it and a unique email address included (an anonymous debit card with email). That is every new card you buy would have a different disposable email address that would expire when the card is empty.
Such a scheme could also be used to donate micro payments to opensource projects, ad-free Youtubers, etc. and do so anonymously. Moreover, it would make payments easier thus overcome the "requires effort to do" resistance when it comes to donating. Making donating super easy would I reckon greatly increase the income for all those on the receiving end.
However I can't see it happening, governments would outlaw it claiming it'd be used to transfer money for nefarious purposes, money laundering etc.
The major reason I don't donate to good/charitable causes is that I cannot do so anonymously.
Shame really.
> However I can't see it happening, governments would outlaw it claiming it'd be used to transfer money for nefarious purposes, money laundering etc.
I feel like it's too common for people to say "we can't have nice things because the government is run by a clutter of lummoxes" when they should be saying "we should improve society somewhat".
why not stuff wads of hundreds into collection boxes?
check if they accept zcash
> The biggest thing we need is a better way to pay someone over the internet without them knowing who you are.
What's the reason you don't want sellers to know who you are?
That would be like buying things in real life while wearing a ski mask and paying with cash.
What's the reason for the seller to know who I am?
Any normal pre-total-surveillance store would've had zero issues selling me something for cash if I walked in wearing a ski mask.
That is not remotely true, dude. Probably some stores would've been ok with it. But for the past 40 years or more, wearing a ski mask around has had the connotation of "this person is up to no good". A lot of stores would've had a problem with your hypothetical purchase for quite some time now.
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> The biggest thing we need is a better way to pay someone over the internet without them knowing who you are.
Cryptocurrency?
That's what I thought. I think an open source crypto payment gateway that "just works" could probably make it more prevalent. (Is there any?)
Isn't that pretty much table stakes for being a cryptocurrency? Run a node (they're all open source), publish your address, and you're all set up to receive payments in that currency.
Every one I've tried "just works". The trick is getting people to join you.
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If it was made easy and common for ordinary people to use.
True. For 99% of the people mining it yourself of demanding getting paid in crypto is not viable. That means you go to an exchange, and all you do is then logged at this government regulated exchange.
I suppose you could engage in some cloak and dagger exchange at night, but again, the 99% won't do that. The ones who do, are most likely capable of setting up their own services, anonymously, so they don't need to have a commercial, for-profit as their middleman.