this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2023
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Privacy

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More often than not, the best way to hide is to simply blend in with the crowds -- this also encompasses one's choice for a username. It is relatively simple to make a single throwaway account -- just come up with a username, and off you go -- however, if one makes throwaway accounts often, the task of thinking of a unique, and non-identifiable username can become a challenge. I would argue that poeple would often resort to using a pattern employing small changes for all subsequent usernames. Such patterns can be identified to a specific user if all users have their own unique patterns.

How can one reliably generate many unique-but-normal, and non-pattern-identifiable usernames?

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[–] davel@lemmy.ml 30 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

$ diceware -n2

UnfixableHappy

$

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Use a password generator in a password manager for the username AND password. Bitwarden is free.

Use a temporary email for email signups. getnada.com works fine, but so do many others.

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[–] random65837@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Don't complicate simple, there's millions of people making random shit usernames, the only ones that are going to wind up with a pattern are the people (trying) not too. Smack a bunch of buttons on your keyboard and call it a username. Done!

Or if you want to make more work, every password manager at this point will generate random usernames.

[–] OldManBOMBIN@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Or for even more work, use a password manager to generate a super secure password, and use that password as your username

[–] irreticent@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

I sometimes use MAC addresses as usernames.

[–] Zerush@lemmy.ml 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Random nicknames are not recommended, they are unique identifiers, it is better to use nicknames of famous people or movies, video games, etc., because it makes it difficult to find them on the web, especially if different ones are used on each site.

[–] privacybro@lemmy.ninja 3 points 1 year ago

this is a really good idea

[–] nik282000@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 year ago

Go to reddit, pick a username from the front page, use that. Any searching into your use of it will lead to that front page post and its reposts on click mills.

[–] NightOwl@lemmy.one 13 points 1 year ago

There's user name generators. Even fantasy name generators too so it's not a weird jumble of letters and numbers like a password.

[–] Lemmchen@feddit.de 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I let Bitwarden generate my usernames for throwaway accounts. I don't care if my username can be identified as Bitwarden-generated.

[–] Zerush@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 year ago

Good usernames are Google, Yahoo or Barrelroll, this is fun when someone searches for you by nickname

[–] DirigibleProtein@aussie.zone 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Pick a random book from your shelf.

  • Open at a random page. Take the first word on the left page.
  • Open at another random page. Take the first word on the left page

Repeat for as many words you like. Discard words you don’t like. Slam the words you like together.

Examples:

  • thickestneedhelped
  • ritestayoutdoors
  • passedthejust
[–] ExLisper@linux.community 9 points 1 year ago

I see a pattern here...

[–] MayonnaiseArch@beehaw.org 6 points 1 year ago

Well I love your name 😍 one of the best characters

[–] sxan@midwest.social 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't create anon accounts nearly as much as you say you do, but when I do I a correct-horse generator, and just pick the first two words and mash them together. It has never produced a conflict yet.

keepass2android's password generator can generate these on mobile, and there are several for the command line.

[–] Thisfox@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 year ago

I, too, was immediately going to recommend correct horse. It is random and it works.

[–] Moonrise2473@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

English word + four numbers

[–] TheOctonaut@mander.xyz 3 points 1 year ago

That's what you think, Michael

[–] LWD@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 11 months ago)
[–] python@programming.dev 4 points 1 year ago

Try random real words until you hit one that's free! Those are the most satisfying usernames anyway imo haha

[–] guyrocket@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)
[–] vaselined@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They do. You can use passphrase generator of any pw manager. Bitwarden has a nice one

[–] guyrocket@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

Interesting. I also found the url above.

[–] Hephoh2@feddit.de 2 points 1 year ago

$ pwgen 8 100

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 1 points 1 year ago (10 children)

I normally use the lastpass username generator, though fair warning, they will try to sell you lastpass.

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