Run It Yourself

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Overlaps somewhat with /c/floss_replacement and /c/privacy; crossposts welcome

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is selfhosting public stuff like XMPP, Email, ActivityPub, on a homeserver good for privacy? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 3 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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if I have communications with someone through the internet with a homeserver. I would inevitably give out my IP address. Is that a bad thing? In my country they don't have services like that, RTCing would be a bit sluggish using available euro servers.

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 years ago (1 children)

It depends on your threat model, as always. Since your IP is linked to you, police and everyone else who can legally ask your provider something will know who you really are. This can be a non-issue in some country and for some use-cases, and could be really dangerous for someone else. But except for this it should not impact deeply your privacy, AFAIK, and having communications under your only complete control is always a good thing. I would only be careful to not link too much services to my only person, especially "social media".

Still, I would advice against hosting your email server for your primary mail, since it will probably cause too many problems (antispam and the like) with other big providers

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 years ago (1 children)

I'm not trying to be anonymous or anything, I just hate not being in control of my own privacy from things snooping everything I do. e.g. using a windows computer, using whatsapp, google. etc. for communications.

Although one worry I have is my home address being public information.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 years ago* (last edited 3 years ago) (1 children)

At most you can get a general area from the IP, not your actual home address. Edit: unless you are the police of course.

The IP itself is less problematic to be public than some people make it sound. There isn't really much anyone could do with it that they wouldn't be able to do otherwise anyways.

Of course if you really need protect your identity, hosting stuff from home isn't recommended.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 years ago (1 children)

I've already quit trying to be invisible, I thought doing so would make my life easier but the opposite happened. I kept trying to find ways that are almost impossible to do. Things I want to do by nature is publicly involved.

So the IP just reveals general area of location, correct? Is there anything I want to worry about in my case?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 years ago (1 children)

Yes very hard to do in modern society. But reducing your digital footprint is still a good idea 😉

You can do a reverse search on the domain and IP and it will usually show which ISP and maybe the city or larger region you are in.

Also depending on the domain name, some require to have public contact details available. Some domain registers offer to proxy those however.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 years ago

And .de domains don't show that information publicy but you still need to provide, in case you're doing something illegal and the police needs to know who you are