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Ask HN: Is it still conceivable to remain an anonymous developer nowadays?

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Re: Ask HN: Is it still conceivable to remain an anonymous developer nowadays?

#151
I recently found out that authors in the literary world often know each other's "pen names" -- it's a mutal professional respect that stops people from outing each other, not "opsec".

I'd try to take reasonable precautions, maybe cloud things a little.

I used to "post like a Canadian" sometimes -- include little references to Ottawa or poutine or whatever, throw in a few OUs... looks like you could do the opposite and be careful to write more "American" on your next project.

Also if you really want to go insane, start looking into styleometry, then styleometry as applied to code, here's two good starting points:

https://www1.icsi.berkeley.edu/~sadia/papers/anonymouth.pdf

https://oar.princeton.edu/bitstream/88435/pr1q24c/1/Deanonym...

Just small things, like writing a script that swaps tabs for spaces, single quotes for double quotes... anything that automates changing some very human part of your writing style, similar to how a handwritten note often has specific ways people cross a T or dot an i, will get you far, since your adversary will probably not assume you've been clouding your data since the 2000s or whatever.

Re: Ask HN: Is it still conceivable to remain an anonymous developer nowadays?

#152
post #7

There are three levels of anonymity: anonymity to the general public, to Apple, and to a state-level actor. Anonymity to the general public is very easy, incorporate a company behind some of the shell corporation mumbo jumbo that any corporate lawyer can prep for you, it will cost $ but it will be easy. Anonymity from Apple could probably be pulled off by incorporating in a country with fairly weak transparency and h…

Legitimate question: what benefits are there to be anonymous to the general public? Wouldn’t most people be happy to take credit for their code?

A friend made an app based on some calculation method he found in a youtube channel. Shame on him for not crediting the author, but months later this influencer created an app of his method and wrote a menacing review for my friend's app, backed with thousands of upvotes. He found other apps implementing the method received similar threats as top reviews.

Re: Ask HN: Is it still conceivable to remain an anonymous developer nowadays?

#153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

...or strike a deal with existing LLC. This is what my company does. We sign contracts and you re hidden behind offshore corporate veil.

Excellent suggestion, but how do you find an existing LLC that won’t fuck you?

Meet the people behind it, draft good contracts, trust your guts. It will always be a gamble, tho.
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