I would like to have an open discussion about stake pool operator privacy and its value. I just finished listening to the most recent episode of the Cardano Effect (awesome show, thanks a lot @rickymac and @philpa ) and I get the sense, not only from discussion there but elsewhere too, that building your trusted identity in the community is synonymous to sharing your real life identity in public or that it’s somehow included.
I’ve been working as a cybersecurity specialist for the past decade and I am very conscious and (maybe overly) sensitive to my privacy. It was even mentioned by Marco in the podcast that what may seem as a mundane amount of ADA now may become a substantial fortune in 1, 2 or more years down the road and it’s good to be prepared for that.
Being public introduces a risk for you that some attacker might try to find you in real life to get to your ADA. By breaking into your house or way way worse. Your pledge amount is public so you are advertising a minimum amount of ADA that you are controlling. And on the internet it’s hard to take it back.
I understand that it’s much easier to build (social) trust if you know who you are talking to, if you can look up their linkedIn profile, facebook page etcetera, but for me, for now, it’s not worth it yet. I look forward to hear what you think.
You will need to find a balance that works for you.
While having a public presence goes a very long way to building trust within the community, it is very possible to achieve the latter without compromising your identity.
On that note I would recommend producing valuable content and/or incorporating a marketing budget to promote your pool or Cardano-related content.
It’s a give and take. I have always advocated for more privacy features in Cardano. Here’s a recent video I made.
Having a public persona does make you more vulnerable, but it does allow greater marketing reach. It’s a risk you have to decide whether or not to take. At the same time, individual delegators will become wealthy as the price increases. This may lead to individuals moving/purchasing different properties. You may be a target in that situation as well. There is no absolute answer for security. Unless you decide to live off the grid, it’s very difficult to shield everything. Taking proper security precautions is the best thing you can do. Ultimately, the choice must be made on individual level. There is no wrong answer of how you want to live.
Trying to walk the line myself, it’s not easy. There are compromises and folks who “don’t get it” along the way, but I still think it’s very doable @rene_securestaking.
