--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Seth was a portable, external id. Not…" description: "\"“Seth was a portable, external id. Not always comfortable or appropriate, but handy nevertheless.”\" — Cory Doctorow" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/cory-doctorow-1928_portable_seth-was-a-portable-external-id-not-alwa_2774540.png" --- # Seth was a portable, external id. Not always comfortable… ![“Seth was a portable, external id. Not always comfortable or appropriate, but handy nevertheless.” quote by Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/cory-doctorow-1928_portable_seth-was-a-portable-external-id-not-alwa_2774540.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/cory-doctorow-1928_portable_seth-was-a-portable-external-id-not-alwa_2774540.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/cory-doctorow-1928_portable_seth-was-a-portable-external-id-not-alwa_2774540.png) > ““Seth was a portable, external id. Not always comfortable or appropriate, but handy nevertheless.”” [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An external identity, like a digital persona, can be useful but may feel uncomfortable or inappropriate, yet remains valuable for navigating online spaces. **In simple terms:** External IDs help but can feel odd. Key Takeaway Use digital identities wisely. Themes identity digital self privacy technology Mood cautious pragmatic Type technological practical When to use this quote - online networking - social media - privacy management - gaming avatars Key Concepts cyberpsychology human‑computer interaction digital ethics Questions to Reflect On - When should you reveal your true self online? - What risks do you accept with a digital persona? A Different Perspective External IDs may clash with personal comfort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [I'm portable. I carry a laptop and a little recording studio on my back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbie-cornish/i-m-portable-i-carry-a-laptop-and-a-little-recording-studio-on-my-back/) [Abbie Cornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbie-cornish/) > [With portable cameras and affordable data and non-linear digital editing, I think this is a golden age of documentary filmmaking. These new technologies mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-walker/with-portable-cameras-and-affordable-data-and-non-linear-digital/) [Lucy Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-walker/) > [Just the idea to have everything you need essentially stored in one piece of portable technology is very exciting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-mctavish/just-the-idea-to-have-everything-you-need-essentially-stored-in-one/) [Graham McTavish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-mctavish/) > [The harfoots are nomadic. And if a society is on the move, its instruments have to be portable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-mccreary/the-harfoots-are-nomadic-and-if-a-society-is-on-the-move-its/) [Bear McCreary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-mccreary/) > [Whatever people thought the first time they held a portable phone the size of a shoe in their hands, it was nothing like where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/whatever-people-thought-the-first-time-they-held-a-portable-phone-the/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [We should all have the legal right to purchase health insurance from any insurance company in any state, and we should be able use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/we-should-all-have-the-legal-right-to-purchase-health-insurance-from/) [John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/) > [My guiding star always is, Get hold of portable property.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/my-guiding-star-always-is-get-hold-of-portable-property/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The portable device is the future of digital media—at least in the short term—and there is nothing more portable than good audio content. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kern/the-portable-device-is-the-future-of-digital-media-at-least-in-the/) Jonathan Kern > [I was mugged when I was 12. I had a portable radio, and I ran into this building and these two guys came in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-prinze/i-was-mugged-when-i-was-12-i-had-a-portable-radio-and-i-ran-into-this/) [Freddie Prinze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-prinze/) > [Even when I'm travelling - which is when I do most of my writing - I have a little portable keyboard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-blue/even-when-i-m-travelling-which-is-when-i-do-most-of-my-writing-i-have/) [Jonas Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-blue/) > [We're really lucky because we have a portable studio, which enables us to work wherever we like. There is some extra work involved in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-sandoval/we-re-really-lucky-because-we-have-a-portable-studio-which-enables-us/) [Hope Sandoval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-sandoval/) > [The way I see it, if you declare something portable, you'll always be wrong, and if you declare it non-portable, you'll always be right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/the-way-i-see-it-if-you-declare-something-portable-you-ll-always-be/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Android is a major step towards an ethical, user-controlled, free-software portable phone, but there is a long way to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/android-is-a-major-step-towards-an-ethical-user-controlled-free/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [A jump rope is cheap, it's portable, and you can do it anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kirsch/a-jump-rope-is-cheap-it-s-portable-and-you-can-do-it-anywhere/) [David Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kirsch/) > [The Jews invented a portable religion in the shape of the Bible, the Torah, and eventually the Talmud, and with other portable forms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/the-jews-invented-a-portable-religion-in-the-shape-of-the-bible-the/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) ## More by Cory Doctorow > [“For me -- for pretty much every writer -- the big problem isn't piracy, it's obscurity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/for-me-for-pretty-much-every-writer-the-big-problem-isn-t-piracy-it-s/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [“Kurt smiled a shy smile. "You're just trying to cheer me up," he said. "Course I am," Andy said. "You deserve to be full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/kurt-smiled-a-shy-smile-you-re-just-trying-to-cheer-me-up-he-said/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [Right, and you point out something important which is that people who don’t want to pay, people who are pirates, don’t get bothered by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/right-and-you-point-out-something-important-which-is-that-people-who/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [The other one I did was 'I, Robot.' I take apart Isaac Asimov's Robots world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/the-other-one-i-did-was-i-robot-i-take-apart-isaac-asimov-s-robots/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [“When in problem, or in doubt, run in cirles, scream and shout”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/when-in-problem-or-in-doubt-run-in-cirles-scream-and-shout/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [“the problem with reading off a screen isn’t resolution, eyestrain, or compatibility with reading in the bathtub: it’s that computers are seductive, they tempt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/the-problem-with-reading-off-a-screen-isn-t-resolution-eyestrain-or/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [I'm 17 years old. I'm not a straight-A student or anything. Even so, I figured out how to make an Internet that they can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/i-m-17-years-old-i-m-not-a-straight-a-student-or-anything-even-so-i/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [“Anything invented before you were eighteen was there all along. Anything invented before you’re thirty is exciting and will change the world forever. Anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/anything-invented-before-you-were-eighteen-was-there-all-along/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [Novels for me are how I find out what's going on in my own head. And so that's a really useful and indeed critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/novels-for-me-are-how-i-find-out-what-s-going-on-in-my-own-head-and/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [“It’s our version of Christian guilt—it’s impious to feel good about your piety. You have to want to be good, but not feel good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/it-s-our-version-of-christian-guilt-it-s-impious-to-feel-good-about/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [The important thing about security systems isn’t how they work, it’s how they fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/the-important-thing-about-security-systems-isn-t-how-they-work-it-s/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [This is why I loved technology: if you used it right, it could give you power and privacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/this-is-why-i-loved-technology-if-you-used-it-right-it-could-give-you/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [Funny, for all surveillance, Osama bin Laden is still free—and we're not. Guess who's winning the "war on terror?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/funny-for-all-surveillance-osama-bin-laden-is-still-free-and-we-re/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [I had this really great amazing thing happen where I almost finished the book and I really needed to come up with an ending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/i-had-this-really-great-amazing-thing-happen-where-i-almost-finished/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [It's the stupid questions that have some of the most surprising and interesting answers. Most people never think to ask the stupid questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/it-s-the-stupid-questions-that-have-some-of-the-most-surprising-and/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) [Explore all 195 Cory Doctorow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) ## More Portable quotes > [I'm portable. I carry a laptop and a little recording studio on my back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbie-cornish/i-m-portable-i-carry-a-laptop-and-a-little-recording-studio-on-my-back/) [Abbie Cornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbie-cornish/) > [A jump rope is cheap, it's portable, and you can do it anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kirsch/a-jump-rope-is-cheap-it-s-portable-and-you-can-do-it-anywhere/) [David Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kirsch/) > [Android is a major step towards an ethical, user-controlled, free-software portable phone, but there is a long way to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/android-is-a-major-step-towards-an-ethical-user-controlled-free/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [The way I see it, if you declare something portable, you'll always be wrong, and if you declare it non-portable, you'll always be right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/the-way-i-see-it-if-you-declare-something-portable-you-ll-always-be/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [We're really lucky because we have a portable studio, which enables us to work wherever we like. There is some extra work involved in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-sandoval/we-re-really-lucky-because-we-have-a-portable-studio-which-enables-us/) [Hope Sandoval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-sandoval/) > [Even when I'm travelling - which is when I do most of my writing - I have a little portable keyboard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-blue/even-when-i-m-travelling-which-is-when-i-do-most-of-my-writing-i-have/) [Jonas Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-blue/) > [I was mugged when I was 12. I had a portable radio, and I ran into this building and these two guys came in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-prinze/i-was-mugged-when-i-was-12-i-had-a-portable-radio-and-i-ran-into-this/) [Freddie Prinze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-prinze/) > [“The portable device is the future of digital media—at least in the short term—and there is nothing more portable than good audio content. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kern/the-portable-device-is-the-future-of-digital-media-at-least-in-the/) Jonathan Kern > [My guiding star always is, Get hold of portable property.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/my-guiding-star-always-is-get-hold-of-portable-property/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [We should all have the legal right to purchase health insurance from any insurance company in any state, and we should be able use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/we-should-all-have-the-legal-right-to-purchase-health-insurance-from/) [John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/) > [Whatever people thought the first time they held a portable phone the size of a shoe in their hands, it was nothing like where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/whatever-people-thought-the-first-time-they-held-a-portable-phone-the/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [The harfoots are nomadic. And if a society is on the move, its instruments have to be portable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-mccreary/the-harfoots-are-nomadic-and-if-a-society-is-on-the-move-its/) [Bear McCreary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-mccreary/) > [Just the idea to have everything you need essentially stored in one piece of portable technology is very exciting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-mctavish/just-the-idea-to-have-everything-you-need-essentially-stored-in-one/) [Graham McTavish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-mctavish/) > [With portable cameras and affordable data and non-linear digital editing, I think this is a golden age of documentary filmmaking. These new technologies mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-walker/with-portable-cameras-and-affordable-data-and-non-linear-digital/) [Lucy Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-walker/) > [The Jews invented a portable religion in the shape of the Bible, the Torah, and eventually the Talmud, and with other portable forms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/the-jews-invented-a-portable-religion-in-the-shape-of-the-bible-the/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) Browse all 41 Portable quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Seth was a portable, external id. 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