I consider it an OS-level deficiency that clipboard copy is destructive by default. The fact that no major OS has multi-clipboard out of the box in 2015 is shameful.
On Windows, I've been using Ditto for years (http://ditto-cp.sourceforge.net/ / https://chocolatey.org/packages/ditto). It's amazing how differently you work when you can copy multiple things, then paste them all rather than copy-paste copy-paste copy-paste. Makes it nice to not have to worry about your clipboard being lost.
Actually I'm glad that the clipboard throws stuff away. Otherwise it'd make me hesitant to use it for any sensitive.
I'd be interested in the primary copy operation storing history by default, but also having a secondary copy operation that throws results away after some period of time - or maybe can only be pasted once?
I think LastPass acts like that - when you copy a password, it will clear the clipboard after a short time.
Even with multiple registers in Vim, I still can't get my mind to think that way. I just link everything with the system clipboard because it's easier to deal with. How do you comprehend all of that hidden information in memory? To me, it seems like a useful feature if you do or can use it, but for most users it's just extra complexity.
Even worse with vim is there are operations like delete which push to the register stack without you intending it, it makes it really difficult to keep track of where your stuff is without looking.
Other than mapping the unnamed register to the system clipboard, I usually use a few specific registers — "a, "b for cut/copy and paste, and "q, "w for macros. Would be interesting to see how other vim users do it.
By major you mean Windows and Mac? I know Linux has had tools to do this for a long time (as far back as I can remember ever using KDE). Indeed it's very sad that Windows and Mac can't do what my cell phone can.
I mean by default. There are tools available for all platforms, but the user has to seek them out.
If you're on linux, there's Diodon, which can handle a list of your last 25 clipboard copies