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Show HN: If you lose your memory, how to regain access to your computer?

eljojo.github.io

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Re: Show HN: If you lose your memory, how to regain access to your computer?

#201

Post by vulcan01 »

ck2 wrote: post #196

not just illness but age too will "bitrot" your brain fifteen years ago I decided to fiddle around one winter and learn a newfangled thing called "bitcoin" and setup my computer to run 24/7 and heat my apartment as a benefit after mining a dozen coins which were worth next to nothing then, I gave up and took apart the PC and put it away fast-forward to 2020 and covid/long-covid has now rotted my brain, swiss-cheesed…

Libraries get rid of books in poor condition and loan books to other libraries, and patrons regularly fail to return books.

Re: Show HN: If you lose your memory, how to regain access to your computer?

#203

Post by graemep »

nubinetwork wrote: post #174

If you're not encrypting your hard drive, cracking a local Windows password is easy... Linux is even easier, but you just need a livecd to get back in either way... Online accounts on the other hand... I hope you used something like lastpass. :) Honestly, anything more than this is completely overkill.

That is why you should be encrypting your hard drive. You do not want it to be that easy.

Re: Show HN: If you lose your memory, how to regain access to your computer?

#204

Post by wtetzner »

echoangle wrote: post #73
0cf8612b2e1e wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A real innovation from the Bitcoin world! There are several physical password store systems that they have suggested for this kind of use case. The simplest is basically using a nail to punch out a password onto a piece of sheet metal.

Just make sure that the metal you use has a high enough melting point.

Maybe a clay tablet (assuming it's safe from water)?

Re: Show HN: If you lose your memory, how to regain access to your computer?

#205

Post by hoppp »

Brajeshwar wrote: post #127

Start treating the Future-You like a Stranger. Write for that stranger, your Future-You will thank you. We think we will remember, but we won’t. So, don’t be too harsh on yourself and make it easier for your future-you. If that stranger finds it easier, it will also be for others; your relatives, kids, etc. Unless your work and life need to be very secretive, or involve matters of national or international importance…

I talk to future me in code comments all the time and future me really appreciates past me for doing that.

Thank you past me for thinking about future me. Present me happy.

Re: Show HN: If you lose your memory, how to regain access to your computer?

#206

Post by EvanAnderson »

hoppp wrote: post #205
Brajeshwar wrote: post #127

Start treating the Future-You like a Stranger. Write for that stranger, your Future-You will thank you. We think we will remember, but we won’t. So, don’t be too harsh on yourself and make it easier for your future-you. If that stranger finds it easier, it will also be for others; your relatives, kids, etc. Unless your work and life need to be very secretive, or involve matters of national or international importance…

I talk to future me in code comments all the time and future me really appreciates past me for doing that. Thank you past me for thinking about future me. Present me happy.

I consider learning the joy of receiving gifts from my past self to be a major point of career and life development.

Re: Show HN: If you lose your memory, how to regain access to your computer?

#207

Post by duskdozer »

repiret wrote: post #44
bitexploder wrote: post #7

Low tech: I put my secret manager password in a physical journal that is locked in a fire proof, water proof vault and hidden somewhere only my partner and myself know where it is. I use a password manager. Everything else goes in the password manager.

This is what I do too, but be warned about “fire proof” - a fire that results in the total loss of your house will create enough heat for enough time that fireproof gun safes and smaller fireproof lockboxes will be destroyed, or even if not, their contents will get hot enough to combust anyway. A bank safe deposit box offers a different security profile that’s probably more robust against fire because banks burn less…

>robust

Is there a better class of safe one could use that might be more successful even if not a guarantee? F/e even with a safe deposit box, one might still have some lower-tier items that would be impractical to store in one but you might want to do better than just out in the open.

Re: Show HN: If you lose your memory, how to regain access to your computer?

#210

Post by utopiah »

utopiah wrote: post #146

Ah, I actually did something similar years ago. I basically hashed individual pages of my wiki and I think I published the hash of hashes on the Blockchain. Anyway I didn't need it and stop maintaining that system but definitely interesting explorations. To clarify the hashing was to verify that the pages were indeed modified by me, to prevent tempering. Damn, found it back, was in 2011! in English https://fabien.ben…

FWIW as I commented just earlier if you have to verify without relying on memory nor a public note (e.g. sticker on screen) that others could use to pollute your data then use a biometric mechanism, e.g. YubiKey Bio.
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