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Instapaper is going independent

blog.instapaper.com

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Re: Instapaper is going independent

#141

Post by hk__2 »

kevingadd wrote: post #113
TillE wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't that exactly what you said a couple months ago? At this point it's pretty concerning that you still have nothing to say publicly except "we're working on it", no detail, no schedule, no nothing.

Well, considering there are apparently only two people working on Instapaper, it's not hard to come up with reasons why it might take more than two months or why they might not be conducting a detailed PR campaign about it

Well, considering that GDPR has been voted two years ago and is based on 20-years-old EU privacy laws, even if it took 6 months or 2 years it still wouldn’t be a valid excuse.

Also, giving a bit of detail or a minimal schedule is easier than a PR campaign. It’s called transparency, and it works even if you’re alone on a project.

Re: Instapaper is going independent

#142

Post by s17n »

bartread wrote: post #123
coldtea wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think you can piss on customers for 2 months and then drop a "sorry for the inconvenience". And for no good reason. Just assume the improbable cost of some litigation as a company, like tens of thousands of others (including much bigger and much smaller than yours) did, put up a message to European customers and have them click and proceed as usual to the service. Or, you know, use the headstart of more than…

I'm not sure why the above is getting downvoted. Sure, it's a bit salty, but if I were paying for instapaper (which I realise is cheap as chips, but the principle still stands) I don't think I'd be very impressed with being locked out for two months. Genuine question: as an EU citizen, without the use of a VPN or proxy is it still possible to at least log on to the service to cancel your account?

I never understand why people assume that services that charge money will be more responsive to users' concerns than free services. You are worth the revenue that you generate, whether that money comes from you paying or indirect means like advertising doesn't matter to the company at all.

Re: Instapaper is going independent

#143

Post by detaro »

pembrook wrote: post #133
dasil003 wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh please stop with this FUD already. Risk assessments on GDPR litigation are blown wildly out of proportion. If we approached the risk of all laws in all jurisdictions this way, we'd just wake up and commit seppuku every morning. The only services that actually need to shut down are ones that are monetizing based on personal data. Small SaaS services that aren't doing that can be fully GDPR compliant with a little b…

>Risk assessments on GDPR litigation are blown wildly out of proportion. Are there any precedents set for GDPR enforcement yet? No? Then how can you know that?

Little in GDPR is completely new, lots of it has been in national law or previous EU legislation before, and the entities responsible for enforcement aren't new, so you can look at past privacy enforcement actions as at least some precedent.

Re: Instapaper is going independent

#144

Post by briandear »

hk__2 wrote: post #141
kevingadd wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, considering there are apparently only two people working on Instapaper, it's not hard to come up with reasons why it might take more than two months or why they might not be conducting a detailed PR campaign about it

Well, considering that GDPR has been voted two years ago and is based on 20-years-old EU privacy laws, even if it took 6 months or 2 years it still wouldn’t be a valid excuse. Also, giving a bit of detail or a minimal schedule is easier than a PR campaign. It’s called transparency, and it works even if you’re alone on a project.

Except "20-years-old EU privacy laws" didn't risk 4% of global revenue. It also didn't risk activist lawsuits.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/25/17393766/facebook-google-...

Funny thing how DailyMotion isn't getting sued, but YouTube's parent company is.

Re: Instapaper is going independent

#145

Post by briandear »

Chilinot wrote: post #91
howitworks wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't mean to sound trite or dismissive, but the blame should be directed at EU legislators. If I create another software product I will explicitly and permanently make it unavailable to EU residents.

If your product can't follow the GDPR legislation then I'm glad you don't allow EU residents to use it. Since you are most likely abusing the privacy of your customers. While I'm a bit annoyed at the amount of paperwork and side systems that need to be constructed to ensure proper handling of personal data that I have had to implement, I can only see GDPR as something positive for the people.

Why should EU residents not be allowed to decide what they want to use and not use? I'm not sure I understand why the EU makes laws that effectively decide what websites "free" people are allowed to visit.

Re: Instapaper is going independent

#146

Post by briandear »

bartread wrote: post #122
howitworks wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't mean to sound trite or dismissive, but the blame should be directed at EU legislators. If I create another software product I will explicitly and permanently make it unavailable to EU residents.

This narrative has long since become tired. If you don't respect your users' privacy you don't deserve to do business in the EU. And make no mistake: whether you like it or not, that legislation - or something very like it - is going to jump the Atlantic sooner or later, so why not position yourself ahead of the curve instead of stropping off and taking your ball home? There are side-effects I don't like about GDPR,…

You can choose not to visit sites that don't respect your privacy. You could already do that before GDPR.

Re: Instapaper is going independent

#147

Post by bcoates »

bad_user wrote: post #116
Permit wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>What it means is that they are probably selling user data and cannot keep doing it without informing users of it. It seems like you'd have to willfully misunderstand the requirements of GDPR to argue that the only reason for non-compliance is that 'they are probably selling user data'. However, if you can instead imagine that two employees might not want to manually manage GDPR requests for a userbase of two million…

If the service can’t delete a couple hundred links, representing private interests I might want to erase, then it’s not a service I’d like to use. Deleting my data is an ability that I want in all the services that I use. Also I do know what the GDPR requirements are, as I’ve been in charge of GDPR compliance. While we may disagree on how easy or hard it is to implement it, there’s nothing in it that’s not common sen…

I don't think that helps unless I don't back up the user's key too.

Re: Instapaper is going independent

#148

Post by derefr »

bartread wrote: post #122
howitworks wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't mean to sound trite or dismissive, but the blame should be directed at EU legislators. If I create another software product I will explicitly and permanently make it unavailable to EU residents.

This narrative has long since become tired. If you don't respect your users' privacy you don't deserve to do business in the EU. And make no mistake: whether you like it or not, that legislation - or something very like it - is going to jump the Atlantic sooner or later, so why not position yourself ahead of the curve instead of stropping off and taking your ball home? There are side-effects I don't like about GDPR,…

There is a difference between respecting your customers’ privacy, and obeying the letter of the law regarding a set of artificial rituals surrounding your customers’ privacy. You can be completely compliant with the spirit of GDPR (e.g. by not storing any data in the first place), while also not wanting to spend the energy ensuring you are compliant with the letter of GDPR.

Re: Instapaper is going independent

#149

Post by dasil003 »

Kiro wrote: post #115
dasil003 wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh please stop with this FUD already. Risk assessments on GDPR litigation are blown wildly out of proportion. If we approached the risk of all laws in all jurisdictions this way, we'd just wake up and commit seppuku every morning. The only services that actually need to shut down are ones that are monetizing based on personal data. Small SaaS services that aren't doing that can be fully GDPR compliant with a little b…

What copywriting is necessary? I haven't done anything on my stuff.

Explaining what you are doing with customers' data.

Re: Instapaper is going independent

#150

Post by dasil003 »

paulcole wrote: post #140
dasil003 wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh please stop with this FUD already. Risk assessments on GDPR litigation are blown wildly out of proportion. If we approached the risk of all laws in all jurisdictions this way, we'd just wake up and commit seppuku every morning. The only services that actually need to shut down are ones that are monetizing based on personal data. Small SaaS services that aren't doing that can be fully GDPR compliant with a little b…

> Risk assessments on GDPR litigation are blown wildly out of proportion. Easy to say when you're telling someone else to take the risk.

Just to be clear, I have skin in the game.
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