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Show HN: Uruky (EU-based Kagi alternative) now has Image Search and URL Rewrites

uruky.com

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Show HN: Uruky (EU-based Kagi alternative) now has Image Search and URL Rewrites

#1
You can get a 2h free trial by solving a proof-of-work captcha when topping up your account for the first time.

If you'd like to learn more, an independent interview was posted a couple of weeks ago [1], and the FAQ [2] has a lot of information as well.

For the source code sharing, we've talked with lawyers and are inclined to no longer require the NDA/NCC for privacy reasons shared with us before (signing requires identification), but instead use a source-available permissive license that doesn't allow competition, like PolyForm Shield [3] (we do still have about 6 months before finalising a decision, here).

This does come with a lot more risks for us (it's harder to track down if someone publishes the code or uses it against the license), but given we've already passed 100 monthly active accounts, we're feeling more confident it's an acceptable risk.

The plan is to give logged in accounts (who are 12 months old or more) a way to download a ZIP of the current code base that's in the server.

Obviously there's no easy way to prove that's the case, but we're open to ideas/suggestions if someone here has them.

[1]: https://theprivacydad.com/interview-with-the-engineer-of-uru...

[2]: https://uruky.com/faq

[3]: https://polyformproject.org/licenses/shield/1.0.0

Show HN: Uruky (EU-based Kagi alternative) now has Image Search and URL Rewrites
uruky.com

Re: Show HN: Uruky (EU-based Kagi alternative) now has Image Search and URL Rewrites

#4

Does Uruky provide an API, or allow API usage such a way that I can leverage it as part of an agent workflow, or otherwise, in place of something like DuckDuckGo?

There should be according to their faq https://uruky.com/faq

Re: Show HN: Uruky (EU-based Kagi alternative) now has Image Search and URL Rewrites

#5

Does Uruky provide an API, or allow API usage such a way that I can leverage it as part of an agent workflow, or otherwise, in place of something like DuckDuckGo?

Yes, we do offer an API and are transparent about the rate limits (no search limits) in the FAQ.

Re: Show HN: Uruky (EU-based Kagi alternative) now has Image Search and URL Rewrites

#7

It is a bit hard to evaluate the potential when you need to top up and do a captcha just for evaluation purposes. The barrier of entry is quite high.

To be clear, you don't need to top up (only click the link or try a search) _and_ do the captcha. You can _either_ top up for a month, _or_ do the proof-of-work captcha (should just be clicking a checkbox and giving it a few seconds).

The reason for the higher barrier of entry is bots/abuse. Up until a few weeks ago we didn't even have the captcha option. Without any kind of identification, it's impossible to prevent automated/bot signups, and they can abuse the system to oblivion.

I understand that's not ideal, though I hope it still makes sense!

Re: Show HN: Uruky (EU-based Kagi alternative) now has Image Search and URL Rewrites

#8

It is a bit hard to evaluate the potential when you need to top up and do a captcha just for evaluation purposes. The barrier of entry is quite high.

To be clear, you don't need to top up (only click the link or try a search) _and_ do the captcha. You can _either_ top up for a month, _or_ do the proof-of-work captcha (should just be clicking a checkbox and giving it a few seconds). The reason for the higher barrier of entry is bots/abuse. Up until a few weeks ago we didn't even have the captcha option. Without any kind of identification, it's impossible to prevent…

I'm not making a freaking account before I can even run a single search.

Re: Show HN: Uruky (EU-based Kagi alternative) now has Image Search and URL Rewrites

#9
> EU search providers (Marginalia, Mojeek, EUSP, etc.).

Does this mean this is just a meta search engine without its own index?

If so, the comparison to Kagi seems misleading.

The question would turn from "why not Kagi" to "why not SearxNG".

Re: Show HN: Uruky (EU-based Kagi alternative) now has Image Search and URL Rewrites

#10

It is a bit hard to evaluate the potential when you need to top up and do a captcha just for evaluation purposes. The barrier of entry is quite high.

To be clear, you don't need to top up (only click the link or try a search) _and_ do the captcha. You can _either_ top up for a month, _or_ do the proof-of-work captcha (should just be clicking a checkbox and giving it a few seconds). The reason for the higher barrier of entry is bots/abuse. Up until a few weeks ago we didn't even have the captcha option. Without any kind of identification, it's impossible to prevent…

You may want to clarify that in your FAQ, which states this in the very first entry:

> Unfortunately, due to the fact it's too costly to properly avoid bots and other automated tools from abusing our service, we don't offer a free trial.

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