The thing that impresses me most is how quickly OkCupid removed public access to that API.
Eh, comment out a route and deploy.
OkCupid's “Removed” Visitor API
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Re: OkCupid's “Removed” Visitor API
#62Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have to wonder how effective paying for a dating site really is. Presumably if you find a partner through the site you stop paying? Aside from a token few they can blog about, what's their incentive to be successful?
OKCupid actually did a blog post about this, which they have since deleted. Here's a copy of it. http://static.izs.me/why-you-should-never-pay-for-online-dat...
Re: OkCupid's “Removed” Visitor API
#63Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's certainly not outlandish that this happened. Have you never been employed as a programmer?
I am, and have been. That's why it's so outlandish to me - I keep user data in mind all the time. Finding out you're leaking sensitive personal data is a slippery slope I (nor my clients) want to go down. Are you implying that it's not outlanding for professional programmers to not have these things in mind?
> That's why it's so outlandish to me - I keep user data in mind all the time.
You keeping data in mind has no bearing on whether or not data leaks are outlandish. You don't seem to understand what the word means, tbh.
> Are you implying that it's not outlanding for professional programmers to not have these things in mind?
No, I directly implied that your real or feigned surprise at this happening makes it look like you don't understand the industry. If you're familiar with the industry it shouldn't be a surprise that this happens.
Re: OkCupid's “Removed” Visitor API
#64Re: OkCupid's “Removed” Visitor API
#65"stalk_time" makes me feel very uncomfortable. Names matter.
Re: OkCupid's “Removed” Visitor API
#66"stalk_time" makes me feel very uncomfortable. Names matter.
The original name of the feature actually was "stalkers" — that's how it was presented to users before 2010 or so. The site had a lot of dark humor then. The word "stalk" also works as a clarifying synonym for "visit" in the code because "visit" could refer e.g. to the user's visit to the site itself.
Re: OkCupid's “Removed” Visitor API
#67About seven years ago I met my wife on OkCupid. The only reason why I messaged her back (after had messaging with her several months earlier) was because of the frontend visitor feature. She had visited my profile randomly again. Turns out she said she accidentally clicked on to my profile intended to see someone else. I haven't used OkC since then, but I thought I'd share that in the context of this blog post ;-)
The site has changed quite a bit then. Now you would of never been able to message her unless she "liked" you.
Re: OkCupid's “Removed” Visitor API
#68Re: OkCupid's “Removed” Visitor API
#69About seven years ago I met my wife on OkCupid. The only reason why I messaged her back (after had messaging with her several months earlier) was because of the frontend visitor feature. She had visited my profile randomly again. Turns out she said she accidentally clicked on to my profile intended to see someone else. I haven't used OkC since then, but I thought I'd share that in the context of this blog post ;-)
Re: OkCupid's “Removed” Visitor API
#70> However, they gave no answer for why unnecessary data was being provided. I mean, it was obviously a bug, right? I imagine the only "explanation" would involve detailing the origin and nature of the bug which would be unwise until they've gone through all their other endpoints to ensure that there's not another instance of this same information leaking.