small snoring rock formation1d ago

Another hill I'm choosing to die on today: if you feel the need to hide your use of a tool, you shouldn't be using that tool.

If a tool has a "feature" where it can (try to) hide itself, to be undercover, that's a tool you should avoid.

Why? Because deep down, everyone involved knows the tool in question is unethical at best. Otherwise you - or the tool - wouldn't want to hide it.

A good tool is to be proud of. If you can't be proud of it, it's not a good tool.

Show threadlars
@algernon I don't think it's that simple. What about tools like VPNs or encryption with plausible deniability for use in dictatorships?
Mar 31 at 9:48pmWeb
Show threadsmall snoring rock formation1d ago

@ls I don't see the problem with either of those. The purpose of those tools is to be hidden, that's the goal. You wouldn't feel bad for using them.

You might not like having to use them, but that's not the tool's fault, that's the fault of the environment, the world we live in.

I'm not talking about tools you have to use out of necessity. But tools you choose, not because you have to, but because you can - and yet, choose to hide your use of them.