[gklitz]

There is never not an obvious reason to use encryption, the obvious reason is wanting private conversations to be private. The only “obvious” reason most don’t bother with encryption is because they naively think that this is already the case.

[cjoelbrowning]

It’s obvious that they want privacy, but it’s not obvious why they want that level of privacy. I want privacy too but I don’t own several burner phones that I paid for with cash.

[noman-land]

It's interesting because "that level of privacy" was the norm, and it's the world around us that's changed. So just by wanting to maintain the same level of privacy you started with, you're deemed sketchy.

I don't buy this framing. I think it lacks historical context by starting with the norms of the present day, instead of understanding how those norms have changed and how privacy and rights have been eroded worldwide over the last decades.

When a bully is crowding your space, doing the "I'm not touching you" game, following you around teasing you, and then acts shocked when you take steps to defend yourself, this is abusive behavior.

Maybe 40 years ago a "burner phone" was for drug dealers and criminals, but nowadays it makes a lot more sense. When a phone number is basically a lifetime unique identifier, and companies and government agencies the world over are being hacked or corrupted, using a disposable phone number should be considered proper hygiene, not sketchy.