Possibly linux4d ago

You guys fell for clickbait

https://lemmy.zip/post/61219686

Show threadEatMyPixelDust3d ago

Hell no, we didn’t fall for anything. This is a real problem with real and far-reaching consequences, associated to multiple legislative attacks against privacy etc, pushed by corporates and religious groups.

YOU fell for the “think of the children” lie and “It’s just a text field” BS. No, this is far worse than just a text field.

Show threadAlaknár2d ago
Do you feel the same about the “user name” field? Do you consider that to also be the end of privacy and the road to totalitarianism?
Show threadflyby2d ago
Problem is “why now”, but also comparison to username field is not really valid - username is actually useful, what’s the point of birth date apart from age verification? You need some kind of username to converse to fellow engineers, birth date is completely unnecessary for that
Show threadAlaknár2d ago

Are you saying that you’re putting your real name in the “user name” field? And feel that you have to?

What’s the difference between inputting a bogus name or a nickname in the “user name” field and selecting 1970-01-01 as your DoB?

Show threadTheLadyAugust

A username field isn’t for your real name, it’s for a username and it has always been for that. Stop being intentionally obtuse.

What’s to stop them from using all of the required user fields and then running a background fingerprinting check and then using that fingerprint every single time you visit a site? It doesn’t have to be your real date of birth. What matters is that it’s a consistent info for your user account so that they can identify who you are. Obviously there are other ways to fingerprint a user, but this just makes it easier to do so, and it’s another unnecessary datapoint for “them” to use.

People are defending this with such fervor, too, that it really makes a person doubt whether they’re even arguing against actual humans. Like, I can see why people would be against general change or against privacy invasion, but why would someone care so much about defending a date of birth field?

Mar 24 at 10:02amWeb
Show threadAlaknár2d ago

A username field isn’t for your real name, it’s for a username and it has always been for that. Stop being intentionally obtuse.

I’m not talking about the “username” field.

I’m talking about the “Full name”, or “User name”, or “Name” field in the OS - name depends on the language version and the OS itself. Stop being intentionally obtuse.

What’s to stop them from using all of the required user fields and then running a background fingerprinting check and then using that fingerprint every single time you visit a site?

What…?

First of all: the OS username is not shared with the website.

Secondly: websites already do fingerprinting, what are you talking about?

People are defending this with such fervor, too

Yeah, “stop overreacting” is such incredible fervour!