> if I asked you for the password to your HN account you probably wouldn't tell me, because it's a secret - and that doesn't make you evil. I would tell you, b

> if I asked you for the password to your HN account you probably wouldn't tell me, because it's a secret - and that doesn't make you evil. I would tell you, but I would ask you why you wanted it first. There's no inherent need for us to have passwords. If people were always good then I would have no need for a password on this account. The login could just be "username" and one could assume that no one would pose as someone else. > Secrecy is necessary for privacy, and you can find plenty of essays defending privacy rights. I think "privacy rights" are completely redundant if one has property rights. If I have property rights on my home, there's no need for additional "privacy rights".