this post was submitted on 19 Jul 2025
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Still better than using the same password everywhere and/or saving passwords in an unencrypted text file on your computer somewhere.
Just not very user friendly.
I'm going back to paper for most things and I don't know man, I think it's more user friendly given the current tech landscape. My paper notebook never changed the interface to add a huge Copilot button.
Neither did my laptop, desktop, or phone. I use Linux and GrapheneOS, so I don't deal with most of the nonsense people have been complaining about.
GrapheneOS is a significantly more complicated and less accessible option for most users compared to a simple paper notebook, which is the context of this post.
But if you want to go this deep, then yes, maybe your phone using your custom OS never introduced Gemini or Copilot without your will. It is however running a Qualcomm modem firmware you can't control and is phoning home, regardless of your GrapheneOS settings, with your GPS coordinates and other data you can't read, at any time. Don't worry, with tech we can always find a malicious feature that works against the user, regardless of how deep you want to dive.
Can you expand upon this?
Sure, there are always things you can't control in a mobile phone because modem manufacturers don't like to give up that control (and I'm sure there are regulatory concerns as well).
My point is that if you don't want Gemini, Copilot or whatever, you can make choices to avoid them. Each choice has consequences, and some just reveal issues you had ignored up to that point (e.g. your modem issue).
But why not a paper notebook? For me:
I use Bitwarden, which gives me a lot of convenience, allows me to self-host and iwny data, and encourages me to use really strong passwords.
"For most things"? Like written notes are whatever, if you don't mind carrying it around with you everywhere you go and hoping it doesn't rain. But definitely do not put your passwords in there....
Modern password managers are super inexpensive, easy to use, and essential security tools. You can't store your passkeys or TOTP in your notebook either.
I doubt the target demographic for a paper password notebook is logging into their accounts everywhere, as if that's some common occurrence.
Ah yes, famously, before the invention of laptops universities and schools didn't work on every single rainy day, because paper notebooks and books are impossible to keep dry. As a matter of fact, the UK never had an educational system before the digital age for this very reason, it's so sad.
You shouldn't store 2FA and recovery codes on your password manager. They offer the feature as a competitive selling point, but the entire point of having 2FA is avoiding single point of failures.
Not impossible but shit happens. Used to happen to me all the time. I used to walk/bike everywhere.
Your password manager is not usually the point of failure, it's almost always the provider.
You're not wrong, I just can't be arsed to manage 2 separate password managers.
You're not wrong either, I just think we are talking about two very different kinds of user here, and they have different levels of challenge and convenience to balance. I'm not even talking about myself: I moved everything to analog, but not my password manager - I use a password manager like yourself, a 2FA app and a physical USB key.
Some papers resist water and are not crazy expensive. If its a notebooksl you are going to carry everywhere I guess it could be a good buy.
It is very user friendly, at least for reliability and security if you keep it in a safe location. It is cumbersome and slow.