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Ask HN: If I get locked out of everything, please try to help me

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Re: Ask HN: If I get locked out of everything, please try to help me

#191

Post by pabs3 »

DoreenMichele wrote: post #187
pabs3 wrote: post #182

I can't help with the phone/lockout issue, but I can help (through ArchiveTeam https://archiveteam.org/ ) with saving the content of your sites to archive.org. I started with doreenmichele.blogspot.com (mentioned elsewhere in the thread), if there are any other sites that need saving, you can reply here or join the ArchiveTeam chat and I/we will get them uploaded.

Thank you but: The published content that you can currently access will still be publicly available if I get locked out. Saving the already published content is not hugely important. Saving access to my ability to keep putting out info via the URLs in question is the thing that concerns me (with regards to my blogs per se -- a much bigger concern is keeping my phone number and email address). Migrating the content el…

I see, sorry I can't help more.

Re: Ask HN: If I get locked out of everything, please try to help me

#192

Post by Biganon »

ImaCake wrote: post #121
Wowfunhappy wrote: post #4

This is my nightmare. This is why I refuse to use 2FA. (Except on services that require it, and I wish they didn't require it.) Am I worried about getting hacked? Absolutely! But when I weigh the likelihood of (1) someone else getting into my account without 2FA and (2) locking myself out of my own account with 2FA, the latter seems much more likely! I understand how backup codes work. I promise you I will loose them…

I understand this view. Unlike every other reply to your comment I am not going to suggest various 2FA schemes that I would invariably screw-up and just add my voice to yours. 2FA might be good for security, but it's also very ableist.

I was able to answer something snarky to you, but then I gave it more thought and realized you're right. Anything beyond a simple password is very complicated when you're dirt poor. Printing is complicated. Having a physical vault is complicated. Buying a yubikey is complicated. Paying for the premium version of a password manager is complicated.

Just like with accessibility on the web, it's so easy to forget about that when you're not in the situation yourself. Thank you

Re: Ask HN: If I get locked out of everything, please try to help me

#194

Post by cozzyd »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #134
stubish wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

100% of devices will fail, eventually. It is kicking the can down the road.

They're banking on you upgrading your device before it dies, as opposed to e.g. accidentally dropping it onto pavement and cracking the screen. Had that happen to me, I was saved by still having the backup codes + having some unholy Tasker + Pebble automations that let me operate the phone without display - enough to launch AirDroid, use it as remote display/input to enable ADB over WiFi, and then finally use scrscpy…

Enable debugging on your phone preemptively, then you can remote display over USB :).

Re: Ask HN: If I get locked out of everything, please try to help me

#196

Post by i67vw3 »

I had two gmail accounts. I created a new account with a pretty popular privacy respecting mail provider. I wanted the first gmail address as a backup (if the privacy respecting one does not work on some sites) while completely deleting the second gmail account.

I wanted some emails from both of these accounts to the new mail provider. So I exported from the first gmail account and then mass deleted all other unimportant mail from the first gmail account.

Then, I did opposite for the second gmail account. I first mass deleted from the second gmail account but then got locked out from my own gmail due to 'suspicious activity'. So now, I can neither import some mails from my second gmail account and neither can delete the entire account, the way I wanted to do it.

Luckily, the second gmail account was the useless one. I tried to unlock it to get my mails, but as usual there is no one to contact at google.

Re: Ask HN: If I get locked out of everything, please try to help me

#197

Post by neltnerb »

8n4vidtmkvmk wrote: post #173
donmcronald wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There was a post a while back around poor and homeless people encountering exactly this problem on a regular basis. Lots of people in the comments were incredibly dismissive and sometimes actively malign about it. Even worse than that, they're often connecting from public IPs that are "suspicious" which causes automated systems to treat them more harshly. In Canada it's gotten to the point where you need an interne…

i moved to the US.. im now locked out of BCs health thingy now because my bc services card expired. and also my android version is too new

In Canada, on the way back to Massachusetts, I needed to download a repaired version of my COVID card. But the Massachusetts Government Website, that you need access to in order to do things that citizens of the state need to do regardless of their location, silently blocked Canadian IP addresses.

Re: Ask HN: If I get locked out of everything, please try to help me

#198

Post by dclowd9901 »

modeless wrote: post #78

A lot of people treat printable recovery codes as something that should be protected, locked in a safe, etc. As a result they don't bother to use them as it seems like too much effort to secure them. Please do not treat them this way. They do not grant access to your account. Print many copies of your recovery codes and spread them around. Wallet, home, car, parents' house, etc. It doesn't matter if they get stolen o…

I think it’s because of the copy that usually comes with these codes. It usually reads something like “COPY DOWN THESE CODES AND KEEP THEM IN A SAFE PLACE.” Which doesn’t come off as “look, you’ll still need your password”

Re: Ask HN: If I get locked out of everything, please try to help me

#199

Post by mr_toad »

prawn wrote: post #185
TeMPOraL wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the off chance it helps, because I don't see anyone else mentioning it: could it be that your charging port is stuffed with lint? If you have a thin needle, try to poke inside and see how much material can you get out of the port. Despite this being a common problem, it's not well recognized, and it's easy to forget about it too. I went through several charging cables and almost replaced my phone half a year ago,…

This has happened to me at least twice and it’s taken too long to realise each time. Further, even if you think you’ve cleaned it, it can need more. I’ve had to scrape away at it before it will charge, and even then sometimes only at an angle or with a book resting on the cable/connection. Given it’s not OP’s issue, hopefully these posts help someone else.

> even then sometimes only at an angle or with a book resting on the cable/connection

That’s probably mechanical stress causing the port to become loose. It can happen after a few years.

Re: Ask HN: If I get locked out of everything, please try to help me

#200

Post by EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK »

jsnell wrote: post #153
newscracker wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds exactly like a deep bureaucracy at work! How do they even sit and design such systems and who signs off on such designs? It’s as if the company that prides itself for tech has mostly incompetent people with no real world experience or real world information gathering skills.

The explanation is that the story has been made up. You don't need to pass a second factor for "Find my Device". You can confirm that by visiting https://www.google.com/android/find in an incognito window.

Sir, you have accused me of lying. Here's the screenshot proving my point https://ibb.co/k0N33hf. Now kindly apologize.
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