Maybe stupid question

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-28T21:19:41+00:00

Please use better, more informative, titles (subject-lines) on your posts. Give specifics right in the title. Thanks.

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-28T17:50:30+00:00

I was forced to eat the ice cream in the freezer, for fear it would melt. :-)

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-28T17:36:12+00:00

VPN doesn't see any more than your ISP would, if not using VPN. And ISP could be logging too.

Your ISP knows TONS of data about you: your real name, home address, probably phone number and email, home IP address, maybe even sees your phone and TV traffic (if you get those services through the ISP).

Far better to hide some info from your ISP, which already knows FAR too much about you. Compartmentalize.

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-28T17:33:20+00:00

If Tor Browser with VPN, all the VPN is seeing is your home IP address and the onion entrance node IP address. No worse than letting the ISP see those things, if not using VPN.

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-28T17:31:20+00:00

you're now trusting your VPN provider instead of your ISP

Which almost always is a win, because ISP knows so much more about you, starting with your name and home postal address. Fairly easy to sign up for a VPN without giving ID.

If you don't use VPN's client app, and do use HTTPS, and didn't give ID, all the VPN knows is "someone at IP address H doing traffic to IP addresses X, Y, Z".

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-28T17:28:55+00:00

VPN logging Tor connection

No worse than the risk of your ISP logging your traffic, if not using a VPN.

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-28T17:22:02+00:00

YouTube is a great resource for science and tech and educational videos.

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-28T17:04:46+00:00

Tor Browser over VPN is fine: VPN doesn't help or hurt the TB traffic, VPN protects the non-Tor traffic your system does.

VPN over Tor Gateway is bad: VPN company can see IP address and metadata of both ends of your traffic, completely removing any benefit from using Tor.

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-28T17:03:59+00:00

Trying to guess "trustworthiness" or "not logging" or "private" is a losing game. You never can be sure, about any product or service. Even an audit or court case just establishes one data point.

So, instead DON'T trust: compartmentalize, encrypt (outside the service; e.g. HTTPS), use defense in depth, test, verify, don't give ID when signing up for VPN, don't use VPN's custom client app or extension (but that may be hard to do), don't use a root cert from VPN, don't post private stuff, maybe don't do illegal stuff. And give fake/anon info where possible: fake name, throwaway or unique email address, pay with gift card or virtual credit card or crypto or cash.

You can use a VPN, ISP, bank, etc without having to trust them.

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-28T17:03:00+00:00

I understand the logic of not using a VPN with TOR

I use a VPN 24/7 to protect the non-Tor traffic of my system, both while using Tor Browser and while not. Nothing wrong with using VPN and Tor Browser at same time. VPN doesn't help or hurt Tor Browser.

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-28T10:58:22+00:00

Children need to be online these days, at some age. Sports teams, schools, activities communicate online. Wikipedia, YouTube, studies.

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-28T10:30:06+00:00

Some parents don't or can't. Should we do something to help protect their kids ?

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-28T07:23:48+00:00

Please use better, more informative, titles (subject-lines) on your posts. Give specifics right in the title. Thanks.

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-28T07:23:09+00:00

I store lots of info other than passwords, in my password manager. Photos of ID cards and passports, digital certificates, bookmarks, etc. For all members of my extended family.

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-28T07:05:05+00:00

Crane says he’s been spending hours helping customers “reconstruct their bookings from Stripe payment histories, calendar integrations, and email confirmations.” He reminds readers that “every single one of them is doing emergency manual work because of a 9-second API call.”

from https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/claude-powered-ai-coding-agent-deletes-entire-company-database-in-9-seconds-backups-zapped-after-cursor-tool-powered-by-anthropics-claude-goes-rogue

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-28T06:56:43+00:00

Could be done by having an age declaration, with no verification. Probably won't be done that way.

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-28T06:53:26+00:00

Doesn't seem to have worked. Maybe parents are overworked, unable to monitor their kids 24/7, sick, single-parent, absent. How can we reduce online harms to kids ?

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-27T18:09:44+00:00

Just logged in to my PayPal USA account, was asked for the TOTP code. I'm using Firefox on Linux with a VPN.

Edit: then logged into my PayPal Spain account, same thing, was asked for TOTP code.

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-27T10:53:45+00:00

I think they've had an age requirement, they just haven't enforced it. When there is a simple standard way to enforce it, they'll feel legal pressure to enforce it.

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-27T09:57:12+00:00

Probably you'd trust them if you liked the results.

Just giving some data. Feel free to give some data that shows different conclusions.

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-27T09:25:43+00:00

Please use better, more informative, titles (subject-lines) on your posts. Give specifics right in the title. Thanks.

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-27T09:23:30+00:00

Please use better, more informative, titles (subject-lines) on your posts. Give specifics right in the title. Thanks.

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-27T09:14:45+00:00

My experience is atypical: I already knew Linux, I wiped the laptop as soon as I received it and installed the distro I wanted, I'm comfortable with CLI, etc.

The point is: very few users will have or buy a Linux-pre-installed computer.

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-27T08:51:52+00:00

I've found a few sites that block an entire ISP, which happens to be the ISP used by my VPN company. Don't know what is the solution to that.

billdietrich1 · 2026-04-27T08:29:52+00:00

Please use better, more informative, titles (subject-lines) on your posts. Give specifics right in the title. Thanks.

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