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Show HN: Automatisch – Open source workflow automation, an alternative to Zapier

automatisch.io

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Re: Show HN: Automatisch – Open source workflow automation, an alternative to Zapier

#51

Post by uniqueuid »

Hrun0 wrote: post #44
Eduard wrote: post #38

First thing I do when evaluating products: checking their imprint and data policy. I didn't find them. You guys are https://automat.berlin/contact/ , right? A GmbH. For credibility, legal, and fine reasons, get a product-specific imprint and data policy up and available as soon as possible.

You look for the data policies before looking at the actual product? Why?

Because for many people, proper data handling is a hard requirement without which a product is useless.

In addition, not having an imprint is actually in breach of German law — I'd add that ASAP or you'll get a nastygram from some zealous automated lawyer bot.

Re: Show HN: Automatisch – Open source workflow automation, an alternative to Zapier

#52

Post by hgomersall »

cuffe wrote: post #45
hgomersall wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Great stuff! FWIW I've been looking for a "some code" platform, that removes the overhead and plumbing requirements for automation, but still allows arbitrary code to run in the automations. Basically, I can code, but there are loads of things about web development I have no interest in or want to think about. What would be amazing to me would be a way in which APIs can be abstracted away and a low code API for vario…

Totally agree, we were looking for a similar “some code” approach. Automatisch and other no-code automation products (Zapier, n8n, etc) are awesome for non-technical users to automate simple tasks. We started building Workflows ( http://retool.com/workflows ) because we were looking for something faster than writing cron jobs/spinning up more infra. Products like Zapier, often times weren’t customizable enough withou…

Hey that looks cool. How easy is it to add new integrations?

Re: Show HN: Automatisch – Open source workflow automation, an alternative to Zapier

#53

Post by lytefm »

Hrun0 wrote: post #44
Eduard wrote: post #38

First thing I do when evaluating products: checking their imprint and data policy. I didn't find them. You guys are https://automat.berlin/contact/ , right? A GmbH. For credibility, legal, and fine reasons, get a product-specific imprint and data policy up and available as soon as possible.

You look for the data policies before looking at the actual product? Why?

If it's obvious that the product won't get approved by risk management due do missing essential policies, I won't even take a glance at the actual product.

Automatisch would be interesting for me exactly due to:

> It allows you to store your data on your own servers, which is essential for businesses that handle sensitive user information and cannot risk sharing it with external cloud services. This is especially relevant for industries such as healthcare and finance, as well as for European companies that must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

But automatisch.io doesn't include any data protection policies despite advertising a paid enterprise offering on their website and asking for data in a typeform. Also, there is only a copyright symbol without any link to a legal entity.

If it was just a non-profit open source package, I'd still look into it. But as it is, the website screams „don't touch this with a ten foot pole“ from a perspective of someone who is supposed to be the target group of your product ;)

Re: Show HN: Automatisch – Open source workflow automation, an alternative to Zapier

#54

Post by bradknowles »

Eduard wrote: post #38

First thing I do when evaluating products: checking their imprint and data policy. I didn't find them. You guys are https://automat.berlin/contact/ , right? A GmbH. For credibility, legal, and fine reasons, get a product-specific imprint and data policy up and available as soon as possible.

They are https://automatisch.io/>, as indicated above.

Re: Show HN: Automatisch – Open source workflow automation, an alternative to Zapier

#55

Post by progx »

farukaydin wrote: post #27
neoecos wrote: post #23

It's funny that n8n is also in Germany. I moved from Zappier to selft hosted n8n, because the low code possibilities, to create more complex flows, for example connecting to Kafka events

It's good to hear that you moved to a self-hosted solution. I can tell the differences between n8n and Automatisch so that you can compare them better. - Automatisch is an open-source software where n8n is fair-code licensed. Therefore, it especially differs from the licensing perspective. - n8n has a canvas-based flow editor, while Automatisch has an editor like Zapier's. - From the UX perspective, we try our best t…

I use n8n too, but the biggest problem for me (as a developer) is, that it cost too much time to define complex rules and test them. An easier define and better test output procedure could be a great advantage over n8n.

Don't concentrate too much on "non" developers, cause these people normaly not use such tools, no matter how easy they are. That is why i hope you add better tooling for developer, to make their live easier.

Re: Show HN: Automatisch – Open source workflow automation, an alternative to Zapier

#56

Post by PurpleRamen »

Eduard wrote: post #38

First thing I do when evaluating products: checking their imprint and data policy. I didn't find them. You guys are https://automat.berlin/contact/ , right? A GmbH. For credibility, legal, and fine reasons, get a product-specific imprint and data policy up and available as soon as possible.

> You guys are https://automat.berlin/contact/ , right? A GmbH.

They work at Automat, or worked there at some point. Have you any information that there is more relation than that? And at the moment they seem to not making any money with the project, so there is a limit to what law demands from them at the moment.

Re: Show HN: Automatisch – Open source workflow automation, an alternative to Zapier

#57

Post by avinassh »

bberenberg wrote: post #2

I currently use n8n, but always great to see more alternatives in this space. One thing that has surprised me is that no one has tried to standardize on the Zapier or IFTTT APIs / SDK implementation to allow for faster deployment of integrations. Seems like there could be a movement here that is akin to how many services use S3 compatible APIs.

n8n is not open source, while Automatisch is GPL.

https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/blob/d1b4d42/LICENSE.md

Re: Show HN: Automatisch – Open source workflow automation, an alternative to Zapier

#59

Post by corobo »

pabs3 wrote: post #48
corobo wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't the use of AGPL specifically to stop many including yourself's specific reasons? They want to build a business off it, not build your business off it. If the license doesn't work for your use case, the license seems to have done its job successfully.

The AGPL is for preserving software freedom in today's networked, service-as-a-software-substitute world. It isn't supposed to be for building a business.

The ability to communicate is for warning our tribe of danger. It isn't supposed to be for talking about open source software.

Intentions and realities are often different. Such is life.

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