Ask HN: How do you name your mobile devices?

2 pointsfjk2 comments

I'm sitting in a coffee shop and I can see the real names of a dozen people over Bluetooth because their devices are named things like "John Doe's MacBook Pro" and "Jane Doe's iPad".

My computer uses the same naming convention, and I was wondering if it's a bad idea to do this. Is there a better way?

A poll would be neat for this, but I don't have enough points to start it. Someone feel free to create it!

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Like my home IP address or my e-mail address, I believe my full name is not very private data. If it allows people to know that I own an iThingy, or to relate my surname to my MAC address, then so be it. I accept this is not private data, I do not use my surname or email as a password.

Calling you computer "Fitzgerald John Kennedy's MacBook" will not reveal any critical information about you.

If I prefer to enforce my own naming conventions (which do not reveal my name), it is mostly because I love naming things myself, and making up naming rules.

If you are looking for a better way to name a laptop/smartphone, please define the "goals" of naming.

Thanks for the feedback! My question was too vague about the goals of naming. I was thinking that it might be a security issue to have your name out in the open.

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