Inconceivable!
You Keep Using That Word, I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means.
Ask HN: Is it still conceivable to remain an anonymous developer nowadays?
131–140 of 153 posts
Re: Ask HN: Is it still conceivable to remain an anonymous developer nowadays?
#132[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: Is it still conceivable to remain an anonymous developer nowadays?
#133There 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?
There's an interesting piece about being a mini/micro celebrity by Tim Ferriss. Am too lazy to look it up, but the gist is that for every ~thousand people, several are bat-shit insane and looking for something to obsess over.
So if multiple thousand folks know you exist, prepare for some stalking.
Re: Ask HN: Is it still conceivable to remain an anonymous developer nowadays?
#134Earlier quoted context omitted.
Something with significant risk that is reasonably easy to mitigate should just be mitigated. Nobody loses with that, except maybe if they view that as drama.
There can also be significant dis advantages to totally disconnecting anything you do online from your professional identity. If the two things really don't have anything to do with each other--say you're a developer and write risque fiction on the side--it may make sense to use a pen name and that's not uncommon. However, many professionals in the tech space and elsewhere have online work that is intimately connecte…
You could take credit in the interview, field questions, and if there is still some doubt, log in to whatever it is you'd like to show. In other words, show privately, not publicly.
Re: Ask HN: Is it still conceivable to remain an anonymous developer nowadays?
#135As someone who grew up when they printed your address when your photo and name appeared in the paper, and when everyone had their name, telephone, and address in the telephone book -- this seems bizarre. Are you never planning to appear at a trade show and promote your product? Hiding who you are seems cowardly, or maybe you have nefarious motives with your program. Transparency and honesty are the best policies in b…
"bro privilege"
Re: Ask HN: Is it still conceivable to remain an anonymous developer nowadays?
#136Earlier quoted context omitted.
There can also be significant dis advantages to totally disconnecting anything you do online from your professional identity. If the two things really don't have anything to do with each other--say you're a developer and write risque fiction on the side--it may make sense to use a pen name and that's not uncommon. However, many professionals in the tech space and elsewhere have online work that is intimately connecte…
You could take credit in the interview, field questions, and if there is still some doubt, log in to whatever it is you'd like to show. In other words, show privately, not publicly.
For me at least, it's pretty much nothing to do with interviews. Articles, conference presentations, just being "me" at events, social media, etc. is all part of the package.
Re: Ask HN: Is it still conceivable to remain an anonymous developer nowadays?
#137Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can't you (semi-) anonymously receive money via Paypal?
I could be wrong but I seem to remember paypal will require KYC at some point past a certain amount of money coming into the account (?)
You can have agreements with vendots? How would anyone but you and the vendor know anything about that?
Re: Ask HN: Is it still conceivable to remain an anonymous developer nowadays?
#138Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not limited by LLC, registering a company anywhere can ensure it to an extent
In Switzerland that would require you to deposit at least 25k or you can not use a fantasy name.
And even then there's a public entry that you are the owner, there are no anonymous LLCs in Switzerland.
Re: Ask HN: Is it still conceivable to remain an anonymous developer nowadays?
#139Earlier quoted context omitted.
> How about you just shut the fuck up and we'll keep saving in Bitcoin and you can keep your infinitely inflating dollars. bitcoin is losing value. It's really not a hedge against inflation as you propose. As more people need what little money they have leftover from losing it in bitcoin, they'll pull the remaining fraction of their savings out and reduce the price of bitcoin. The price is just barely above $20,000 n…
It's been a hedge against inflation for me for nine years thanks. I'm not pulling a cent out. Those people are selling a scarce asset to me, and thousands like me, and they can only sell to us once. Most miners are running on stranded, excess renewable energy that can't be used for anything else. A ponzi scheme implies an exit. We're never swapping back to dollars that can be printed out of thin air.
> It's been a hedge against inflation for me for nine years thanks.
For a period of record low inflation excluding 2021 and the current year? Sure. During 2021 and 2022? Only price falls for Bitcoin.
> Most miners are running on stranded, excess renewable energy that can't be used for anything else.
Bullshit. There is opportunity cost to this electricity use, and it keeps fossil fuel power plants open longer than they would have otherwise been. I don't think you need me to tell you how big of a crisis climate change is.
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/bitcoin-miners-align-...
https://www.wsj.com/articles/bitcoin-miners-are-giving-new-l...
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/feb/18/bitcoin-m...
https://hbr.org/2021/05/how-much-energy-does-bitcoin-actuall...
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2022/05/04/cryptocurrency-...
https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/bitcoins-puzzle-...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/energy/bitcoin-is-re...
Re: Ask HN: Is it still conceivable to remain an anonymous developer nowadays?
#140No comment on the prospect of owning a company anonymously or publishing apps through Apple but in certain communities it is accustomed to be anonymous, particularly in those which knowledge of real-life identities could be used to gain items of value.
One omen of advice is that if you are not taking measures preemptively to actively remain anonymous that itself could be a means of exposure and makes this entire exercise futile. For longer-term anonymous identities merely picking a pseudonym and casually using it makes it easy to slip-up and potentially lead to correlation. Slightly dated now but suggest you read-up on 'OPSEC for hackers' and other publications by The Grugq as a starting point.