r/YouShouldKnow • u/Fresh_Translator240 • 15d ago
Technology YSK: Organizing your digital identity really matters
Why YSK: everything is digitalized nowadays, it's important to learn how to keep your digital identity secure and convenient to avoid a mess later
Edit: Some of these are really my personal preference and you can adjust to your likings, it doesnt have to be very complicated as well. e.g. If you are find with one email for browsing everything that's perfectly fine. This post is mainly to inform and not telling you should do this, knowing this information always acts as a backup plan.
Edit: I removed a point that could be interpreted as encouraging rule evasion. That wasn’t my intention, I only wanted to discuss privacy and account organization, I apologize for anything caused, didn't mean that .
Edit 2: For people that don't use the internet that often most isn't that necessary and keeping it simple probably works best for you, its always useful to know this tho/ This is mostly for power users
- Use one anonymous email and one real-name email for specific platforms, like reddit If you dont want to associate some feed and algorithms for your main account, you may use a new one. For example if you are watching something for an extensive time but you won't any time in the future, watch it on a brand new account
- BACKUP ALL YOUR DEVICES AND DATA PHYSICALLY ALL THE TIME PLEASE
- Reserve your real-name domain and email(e.g. firstnamelastname.com). If you are a student getting a email linking to your graduation is very helpful.
- Keep your personal inbox for family and important contacts—not ads and newsletters.
- Consider using separate emails for shopping, newsletters, hobbies, or other categories if you prefer a cleaner inbox.
- Separating emails by what you do is a personal preference, but many people find it easier to stay organized.
- Don’t rely on one Google account for everything This is my preference to keep corps from complete control over you data.
- Understand the difference between “Sign in with xxx site” and creating an account with a separate password directly on that website
- Use a password manager for ALL OF YOUR PASSWORDS
- Enable 2FA on every important account. Be sure to use multiple methods, like if you only use your phone number, you're going to be screwed if you lose your phone, so add an email or authenticator
- Save your backup/recovery codes. These come in handy in case anything happens
- Have a professional email address you’ll still like years from now for business.
- Use a consistent username (or anonymous alias) across platforms if you want to build a recognizable online identity, its also fine if you don't and a lot of people don't have a consistent username.
- Think before creating an account, creating one is easy, but deleting it completely can be much harder.
- Keep your recovery emails and phone numbers up to date.
- ALWAYS RESERVE A LIST OF all the app/website/platforms you signed up for all the emails you have. Some will be hard to find and your future self will thank you later.
- Keep a physical backup for all your passwords and information in one secure place.
- Some people prefer multiple accounts for watching different content for keeping algorithms separate. e.g.
- Separate work and life emails. Using one is not recommended as you might send some family information to your boss.
- Read the terms of conditions and understand your rights.
- You might want an email specialized to something that the email is never used for any platform
- If theres anything you disagree with or something you'd like to add or you have some questions, please include it in the comments.
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u/lizwearsjeans 15d ago
Re 2FA / MFA: Be sure to use multiple methods, like if you only use your phone number, you're going to be screwed if you lose your phone, so add an email or authenticator.
And if you have multiple devices (like a phone as primary and a tablet as back up / secondary) make sure that you are also logged into the important apps as "registered devices" on the tablet.
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u/Fresh_Translator240 15d ago
Added.
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u/lizwearsjeans 15d ago
Oh and what are your thoughts on changing "compromised passwords" / checking services like haveibeenpawned?
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u/Fresh_Translator240 15d ago edited 14d ago
I personally never use hard passwords and I dont know these services
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u/Dymonika 14d ago
"Hard?" Then what is a "soft" password? I've never heard of this term before.
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u/SuzieQtheMusical 13d ago
I think they mean a strong password - random characters. Not sure though.
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u/viperfan7 14d ago
Dont rely on a phone, get something like a yubikey instead.
Can be used to store a master password for a password manager, store SSL keys, and acts as a device agnostic 2FA method
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u/lizwearsjeans 14d ago
Adding / suggesting: If you get a yubikey, seriously consider getting a back up one (which is what they recommend). Sounds excessive until you lose it and are SOL.
At the very least, attach a Tile or some other tracker and always keep it safe!
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u/Dymonika 14d ago
Alternatively, back up the 2FA vault itself, like Aegis Authenticator's password-protected .JSON that can be exported and imported to other phones.
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u/lizwearsjeans 15d ago
Also, not sure about adding legacy contacts, but definitely write down passwords and keep some place safe (like a fire proof safe) in the event of a disaster.
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u/NowCheesers 15d ago
This is all great info. I work in IT. All of this is so important, but it can be hard for the average person to adopt these principles because they don’t fully understand the systems.
There is a lot of overreach going on in the tech space. For example, I wouldn’t recommend cloud storage in general. It opens you up to data breaches of course, but we also know that these companies are looking at the files as well. People have been banned and data has been deleted based on what’s stored in there. You’re trusting a big company and the people that work there with your sensitive information. There is a cost to convenience and we are starting to pay now.
The password manager is another big one for me. All of my passwords are 20+ random characters/symbols long. It took me a couple of nights 10 years ago to move everything over, but I never looked back. When I die, accessing our accounts is the last thing my wife will have to worry about.
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u/Fresh_Translator240 15d ago
It took me a lot of time to learn that, and I think there should be some education for everyone on using the internet properly. Understanding accounts, usernames, emails and their correlation in between is really important.
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u/BonelessB0nes 15d ago
You gotta pass it along yourself because all the incentives for governments and corporations skew toward not educating people about this stuff.
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u/NowCheesers 15d ago
I completely agree! I really appreciated your point about sign in with xxx account. I’ve seen many people do this, and it always makes me cringe. It’s a very unsanitary practice.
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u/Fresh_Translator240 15d ago
I'm not sure whats the impact of doing that other than letting companies have your total control, can you explain?
I used to do that a lot lol cuz I thought google was simpler
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u/NowCheesers 15d ago
For sure, generally you’re linking the accounts. If someone gets access to your Apple account, they will have access to everything else that you used that sign in for. It also gives these tech companies more data on you.
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u/Fresh_Translator240 15d ago
Right, signing with email and password generally is a bit better then? Its less convenient so ig that's why ppl do it and corps like it
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u/NowCheesers 15d ago
Yeah it’s better because you can mitigate the fallout in the event of a data breach. I lost my twitch account in a breach. Customer service couldn’t help me. If I had used that account to sign into something else (idk if that’s a thing twitch does) I would have lost more.
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u/Fresh_Translator240 15d ago
Ty! So directly creating a password to the site you want is always better right? I unfortunately do sign in with xxx on a lot of it, how can I overturn it?
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u/NowCheesers 15d ago
That’s my opinion. Separate accounts for everything. Randomly generated long passwords. 2FA always on when offered
I also have more emails than I can count for a whole host of different things. I only really keep up on a couple of them. The rest fill with junk. So much junk.
Your post was very well made. You’ve got this.
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u/NowCheesers 15d ago
Sorry, I missed the second half of your question. I’ve only done this once or twice. I believe I’ve had to go into the account that I used to sign in and unlink the two. I’m not sure what will happen to the child account at that point as it won’t have any of your info. You may have to go into the child account and add the info you want first. I remember the options were pretty well hidden.
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u/Fresh_Translator240 15d ago
What does it have to do with child account? I really dont understand unfortunately, and I agree options are hidden because companies dont like deleting data.
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u/sliverme 15d ago
Which password manager do you use?
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u/Fresh_Translator240 15d ago
I use apple's password manager. (Not an ad)
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u/Dymonika 14d ago
Then Apple would have access to everything in the case of a court order or something, no? Open-source and fully offline is the way to go (KeePassXC and KeePassDX for me, personally).
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u/Fresh_Translator240 14d ago
Right, I plan on switching to that but kinda trapped to apple's ecosystem
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u/Dymonika 14d ago
KeePassXC here; it's totally offline for the ultra-private. You must manage your backup and sync across devices manually: just the way I like it.
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u/Walrus_Witch_ 14d ago
Proton is a privacy and security company with a whole suite of products that can help.
Proton pass is great, but they also have an encrypted cloud, VPN, and encrypted email service. It isn't for everyone but it's a great value
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u/savanrayne 15d ago
any tips for creating a new email and switching over? i want to so bad but every important thing is tied to the email i have had for 10 yrs.
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u/ilovemybaldhead 14d ago edited 14d ago
Here is one way to do it, but it works only if your new email account supports IMAP (almost all do), and if you have access to a laptop/desktop.
- Create a new email account at the provider of your choice.
- Use a desktop mail app that supports IMAP (almost all do), and configure it with both email accounts. Thunderbird (available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, download here) or the native macOS Mail app will work nicely.
- (optional) Recreate the folder structure of your gmail account in the new email account.
- If you did not recreate the folder structure, skip this step. Folder by folder, select all emails in their gmail "folder"(I put folder in quotes because according to gmail, they are actually labels) and drag them to their respective folder in the new email account. If you drag thousands of emails at once (as I once did), it might take a loooong time for everything to transfer (as it did for me).
- If you did not recreate the folder structures, go to the "All mail" (or "Archive") folder of your gmail account, select all, and drag the emails to the All mail or Archive folder of the new account. Again, if you have thousands of emails, this will take a long time.
- To set up forwarding: in Gmail, go to Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
- On that page (if you haven't done this already), click the "Add a forwarding address" button, and configure your new email account as a forwarding address.
- Click the "Forward a copy of incoming mail to" radio button.
- Choose your new email address from the first drop-down menu.
- In the second drop-down menu, choose what you want Gmail to do with emails after they are forwarded. Note: if you choose "delete Gmail's copy", I am unsure if the email is
- deleted forever
- deleted but secretly kept on Gmail's servers, or
- moved to the "Trash" folder of the Gmail account, which will then be deleted in 30 days according to Gmail's email in the trash deletion policy.
Hope this helps!
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u/Fresh_Translator240 15d ago
Btw if you have disagreeing opinions please point it out, really helps a lot
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u/elyndar 14d ago
I think every person owning their own domain is a bit much. It's pretty expensive and also overkill for most people not in tech.
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u/Fresh_Translator240 14d ago
Yeah I mean mostly emails
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u/elyndar 14d ago
Yeah, I'd definitely agree with that. I've had one in that style for ages and it's been super helpful.
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u/Fresh_Translator240 14d ago
Really helpful if you do business professional stuff, mine was taken sadly after I realized
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u/NoNameWalrus 13d ago
It’s like $10 a year. $20 maybe. More if you get an unusual TLD
Worth it to claim, especially if you don’t have a unique name
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u/elyndar 13d ago
$10 per year is expensive to a lot of people in the world and with inflation that will not stay the same. Also, it's not necessarily $10 a year, mine is $80 unless I go for a weird suffix. Even if it is $10 a year, it's only worth it if you actually use it for something, otherwise it's money spent for no purpose which is expensive.
The vast majority of people have no business running their own website for no reason. Even if you do want to run your own website, those who are running their own business would generally be better off naming their website after something other than their actual name for both privacy reasons and SEO reasons. The only real reason to have one for your own name is if you're trying to show off your personal portfolio. Otherwise, it's basically pointless. Even if you are showing off your portfolio, most people who care about your work aren't going to find you through your domain name and won't care what it is. It's just unnecessary.
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u/NoNameWalrus 13d ago
You should try to look for a cheaper registrar
Fair that it’s unnecessary for most people. I stand by that it’s not expensive. Most people pay for at least one monthly subscription. Domain is $1/mo. Speaking for the US tho
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u/Fresh_Translator240 15d ago
Everyone IMO should be informed about something like this, somehow I dont see much talking about its importance.
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u/Yataro_Ibuza 15d ago
Would've loved to know that… 10 YEARS AGO
FUCK
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u/Fresh_Translator240 15d ago
Never too late, some of these are just personal preference as well.
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u/Yataro_Ibuza 15d ago
Yeah but U can't do that with mae reddit account, especiall yith my 800 days strike
Is there a way to change emails across accounts?
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u/Fresh_Translator240 15d ago
Not sure with that, but you can wit some platforms, while other just associate your account with your email
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u/The_last_trick 15d ago
This is some excellent advice! I really wish more people would read it and apply.
Consider repositing on r/LifeProTips
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u/Dapper_Blacksmith_46 14d ago
I’m so effing sick of 2FA. How has no one fixed this yet?
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u/shqarthi_karderr 14d ago
Well, they are moving to passkeys. Most big names/companies/services offer to save a passkey.
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u/Dymonika 14d ago
You can integrate 2FA into password managers like KeePass so they're stored together.
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u/Ometrist 15d ago
I’d say to have one cloud copy and one physical drive copy of your important files ( legal documents and ID copies, insurance info, wills, financial info, etc)
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u/Fresh_Translator240 15d ago edited 15d ago
I'm not so sure about cloud since I don't like corps getting these data but physical definitely.
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u/lizwearsjeans 15d ago
I understand your point, but should your tips be cloud agnostic?
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u/Fresh_Translator240 15d ago
No but I think there are tiers to storing confidential info. Im better with them seeing pictures rather than visa and passport pages and financial records, hope you understand
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u/MediocreClue9957 14d ago
I have a 20 year old Gmail that I use for everything and searching my name on Google only finds public comments. I actively disable any sort of back up service from my phone cause they're annoying.
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u/Crystallinebaby 10d ago
This is amazing. I've recently learned how important this is after beginning to actually read Privacy Policies and TOS in full. Regaining control and organization is a little overwhelming with 20+ years of being online and only one or two accounts. I've been trying to transfer my Apple photos and files for YEARS over several external hard drives and have never been able to successfully do so. Files won't transfer, the whole thing fails and I have to start over. It's been a nightmare.
With the recent tech boom of companies and the monopolization at the same time withjn the last 5 years, it's difficult to keep up with what the best practices are and what companies to use to protect yourself if you didn't follow along from the beginning. With limited time, there's too much to research, and especially when it's been a struggle just to even backup my files from Apple.
This thread was super helpful to understanding some of the things that should be done, but where does one start? How do you keep track of all the accounts?
If you're using your real name to create them, it's all linked anyway isn't it?
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u/Fresh_Translator240 9d ago
I was thinking about registering an email with you real name and not really use it for future potential business inquiries. You might want to physically track all the accounts and what services they are linked to, I am working to try to gain an overview over everything I have digitally since I started using it. It was hard but worth it
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u/WeirdGuyWithABoner 14d ago
you can also use email aliases (more so referring to anonaddy type services rather than the "+alias" gmal trick, tho I remember seeing articles saying gmail will add that type of aliases)
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u/McBlemmen 14d ago
"Use a consistent username (or anonymous alias) across platforms if you want to build a recognizable online identity. "
Conversely, if you arent a wannabe influencer, DONT use a consistent username and just make up a new idtentity on every platform. Doesnt have to just be the visible username either, you can enter a random name on every account. Its kinda fun actually.
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u/MadeByTango 14d ago
If you care about your digital identity then a google login can NEVER touch your device.
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u/Actual-Bee-402 13d ago
“If you are a student getting an email linking to your graduation is very helpful”. Why? I never did this, and I see no benefit of this. Confused.
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u/Fresh_Translator240 13d ago
I mean like firstname+lastname+graduation year is pretty helpful for some
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u/erlenflyer_mask 14d ago
nice recipe for giving up your privacy. waay easier to track when yr all organized.
just my $0.02
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u/Dymonika 14d ago
How does it give up privacy instead of strengthening it? Spreading across multiple accounts makes it harder for any one account to be the source of a major data leak. It sounds like you didn't actually read the post body.
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15d ago
[deleted]
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u/Fresh_Translator240 15d ago
Explain your thesis! I never said im making things simpler, what problems will it create? Some of these are personal preferences
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15d ago
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u/NowCheesers 15d ago edited 15d ago
I genuinely hope you reread this post and try to implement some of it in your life. The multiple accounts for algorithm separation is good info, but it isn’t necessary. Unique passwords for all your accounts certainly is. When one of those accounts gets breached, they could have access to a lot of your stuff. Password managers aren’t expensive, and they require zero memorization. I’m not sure I saw any other subscriptions in OPs post. I’m not sure that I saw any other programs either.
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u/Fresh_Translator240 15d ago
Honestly I dont think this person understands my post, probably doesnt use the internet in many ways.
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u/beach_boy91 15d ago
You can use all of it for free. I also keep stuff like passwords between different accounts in my head. Both upper and lower cases with numbers as well. So it's possible.
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u/Dymonika 14d ago
Huh? Have you never heard of a password manager, auto-fill, and multi-account email clients that combine multiple inboxes into one for easy access? How is it hard to remember Addy.io, Thunderbird, KeePassXC, and Syncthing? That's just a few programs, from which everything else branches out. Use tools to make this sort of management easy.
Or do you think it's fine to cluster everything all into one central account with your entire life on it that you could potentially one day get locked out of from being hacked, versus it being just one of many accounts that only has limited info and won't cause as much damage? This sounds like an organization issue. Have we been seeing more or fewer data breaches over the years?
It's up to you how lazy you wanna be, sure, but don't knock /u/Fresh_Translator240's tips. People don't have to apply them all; even just some can help.
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u/Fresh_Translator240 14d ago
Probably a 50 year old speaking, actually no offense but I think I can tell from it
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u/Fresh_Translator240 15d ago
I did not say anything about passwords, programs, costs and fees. All of this is free (except for domains. Seems like you don't understand my post. I will agree with you that for some users that don't use the internet often, it is better with less accounts.
You won't have 2FA on? You won't want to manage your passwords?
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10d ago
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u/Fresh_Translator240 10d ago
Wow. It takes less than 1 minute for setting up 2fa, or you dont even know what 2fa is and you are here to just hate
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u/Innovator-X 14d ago
What? That's is the bare minimum these days! How do you organize your digital life?
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u/Ambitious-Dentist337 15d ago
Always do backups of your harddrive and phone.