> Would you say the same thing about a password?

Passwords are secrets. Public keys are not. So the comparison doesn’t work.

> Would you make the same comment about a conversation over a messaging service?

If it was a public messaging service like HN, or public comments on Twitter or Facebook, then yes.

> This is a configuration detail of an account setting -- not a blog post.

We could be here all day and night saying what this is or isn’t but it doesn’t address the point I was making. The moment you create a GitHub account you start leaking far more sensitive data than your public keys. Data that is far harder to create anonymously (unlike your SSH keys). Thus if privacy is a concern then you shouldn’t be using GitHub in the first place. Even git version control itself leaks information about you.

> Privacy is not binary; there are many shades of grey.

Ironic you state that when you’re the one applying privacy in a binary way. I’m saying the SSH public keys are a lower risk than other details you share in GitHub. Not that it’s a zero or 100% bad thing, which is the only pidgin holes you’re allowing for this discussion.

> It is surprising that this is made public and while it is not necessarily wrong to provide this service (I'm fine with it; I see the utility) it is also reasonable to ask for a way to opt out.

That’s literally the point I’ve been making.

> Passwords are secrets. Public keys are not. So the comparison doesn’t work.

These are not binary attributes. A public key absolutely can be a secret, and in many cases should be.

> If it was a public messaging service like HN, or public comments on Twitter or Facebook, then yes.

You're avoiding the question because in this case it isn't a "public messaging service." It's an attribute of an account configuration.

> Thus if privacy is a concern then you shouldn’t be using GitHub in the first place.

Nonsense. What if I use a private email for my github account? What if I only use private repositories?

You're repeatedly making an error of portraying privacy as black and white and it simply is not.

> I’m saying the SSH public keys are a lower risk than other details you share in GitHub.

No, you made a categorical, absolute statement that "If you need privacy then you shouldn’t be uploading to GitHub in the first place."

This statement is utter nonsense. Now you're just arguing that you didn't say what you actually said.

> That’s literally the point I’ve been making.

No, your statement that we're discussing was "If you need privacy then you shouldn’t be uploading to GitHub in the first place."

This statement is flatly incorrect. Your comments are demonstrably false, and your followups are irrelevant deflections.

> You're avoiding the question

I answered your question despite it being a straw man argument.

> No, you made a categorical, absolute statement that "If you need privacy then you shouldn’t be uploading to GitHub in the first place." This statement is utter nonsense.

Thus far all the arguments you’ve made have been either unsubstantiated or straw man.

Take the quote above, you argue it’s nonsense but offer zero evidence to back up that remark.

> Now you're just arguing that you didn't say what you actually said.

You’re changing the subject again instead of providing a counter argument. I’ve made my points clear, with examples as to why I’ve came to that conclusion, and there’s history of our chat in this forum.

This is clear an emotive topic for you but if you want to prove me wrong then please at least stick to the subject.

> I answered your question despite it being a straw man argument.

You didn't, and I think that's all that needs to be said. There's no need to address the rest of your comment. I don't care to engage in whatever it is you're doing.

Have a read of the following and then you’ll understand my frustrations conversing with you:

http://www.paulgraham.com/disagree.html

Thus far we’ve seen DH2, DH3 and DH4 but you haven’t yet refuted my central argument (nor even anything close to it) despite posting a multitude of emotionally charged paragraphs.

Now take a look at the discussions I’ve had with others in this thread. They’ve been on topic and informative. Unlike the responses from yourself.

I’m genuinely open to discussion, if you’re genuinely interested in having one.

You've seen only DH6, a direct refutation of your central point which I'll quote for you again: "If you need privacy then you shouldn’t be uploading to GitHub in the first place."

Take another look at your own responses, vis a vis that article. You and I are done here.

So you are just trolling me then?

Pity you couldn’t be bothered to hold a proper discussion here because some of your other posts in other threads have been informative. C’est la vie

Thanks for making this point clear. I think a lot of people have been clinging to the idea that there is such a thing as privacy with online public services.

The parents quote I think is illustrative

> But for the “average person,” security does equal privacy, or should, so they find systems that could potentially expose their identity to be “insecure.”

And I’m not trying to pile on here, because I sympathize with that sentiment of “should”. But I think the two issues that make that never a real possibility are 1) privacy is actually a harder problem to solve than security and 2) companies aren’t incentivized to provide privacy.

Anything you provide online should by default be assumed to end up public, and as much as we might not want that, we all really need to assume that.

They are complementary, though -- in fact, intertwined. You cannot have durable privacy without the ability to selectively secure information. And many security mechanisms (especially those that are digital) rely on a secret, which is sort of the essence of privacy.