GM, but only to Jumble users

would anyone use a nostr client that limited the time you could use it?

Most people accept having a phone number as a given, like an unavoidable fact of life. It’s treated as if you can’t function without one. But a closer look shows that carrying a phone number comes with costs that aren’t just financial, they’re social, psychological, and even practical. A phone number is an anchor. It ties you to systems that track and monitor your movements, habits, and identity. Every major company and government agency uses your number as a key to connect data about you, from your purchases to your location. It’s a unique identifier that turns you into a permanent entry in the databases of entities you don’t trust, and often can’t even see. Without a number, there’s one less point of entry for your life to be cataloged and mined. Beyond surveillance, a phone number invites intrusion. Telemarketers, robocalls, and unsolicited messages are constant, but the bigger problem is how the number turns you into a node of instant accessibility. Anyone can demand your attention at any moment. This constant reachability pulls you away from the present, eroding any separation between solitude and interruption. Even if you silence your phone, the expectation remains that you’re only a call or text away, always on call. There’s also a deeper layer of dependency. Phone numbers are a bridge to centralized networks, carriers, SIM registries, and government-regulated systems. These networks can cut you off or deny service without your consent. In contrast, other ways of communicating, like email, encrypted messaging, or decentralized platforms, don’t rely on the same choke points. They allow you to remain connected without being tethered to a single gatekeeper. Some argue that you need a phone number for jobs, banks, or basic communication. In truth, most of these uses can be replaced. Many services accept email or app-based verification. Messaging apps work over Wi-Fi and don’t require a number once you’re set up. If your goal is genuine communication, there are plenty of ways to talk to those you care about without relying on a ten-digit handle that doubles as a tracking beacon. Living without a phone number isn’t about rejecting technology, it’s about rejecting needless tethering. It’s about reclaiming the right to choose when and how to be reachable, and refusing to hand over one more piece of your identity to systems built on surveillance and control. If you want freedom from constant reachability and data harvesting, the simplest first step is to let the number go.