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Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

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Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#141

Post by vaduz »

Zhyl wrote: post #17
pgt wrote: post #10

Hmm. My Dropbox Pro subscription renewal is coming up. Is there an alternative to Dropbox that isn't iCloud or Google Drive? I would like to pay for Tarsnap but I don't understand 250 picodollars / byte-month.

I use SyncThing [0]. It can work without a server if your devices are often up at the same time. Otherwise you can get a small cheap server from the provider of your choice to suit your needs. [0] https://syncthing.net/

SyncThing is great when it works, but its platform support is spotty at best (notably lacks official iOS version, I found the Android one to be flaky and if you try to use it on a Chromebook, straight up does not work).

It's great for serverless sync between Linux, freeBSD and Windows machines, though - it generally "just works". Didn't try it on macOS or Solaris, never had the need to.

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#142

Post by [deleted] »

laumars wrote: post #114
Philip-J-Fry wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I personally don't mind the ads on Amazon Prime because they're instantly skippable and do actually show things I might be interested in. Plus they don't show random shit like ads for a car or a TV or something. I don't sit and browse Amazon (because the browsing experience on Amazon prime is dogshit), so I go straight to anything I want to watch on there. The only opportunity to discover new shows on there is usuall…

I don’t think I’ve ever received an ad on Prime Video. Is it an American thing? Do they happen in the U.K. too? It might be the case that my DNS server (basically PiHole but something I built before PiHole was a thing) is blocking them. However it doesn’t stop inlined ads from YouTube, 4oD, Twitch and other streaming / on demand services.

[deleted]

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#143

Post by delfinom »

KingOfCoders wrote: post #73
matsemann wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes wtf, I'm already paying and trying to watch a series I enjoy, stop pestering me. Just one of many dark patterns at Amazon, cancelling Prime is so difficult that Norwegan Consumer Council and 15 others yesterday started a legal fight with Amazon: https://www.forbrukerradet.no/siste-nytt/amazon-manipulates-... The video there is quite aggravating.

I've cancelled Prime, now they hit me with week long delivery times which after a day are reduced by half or less, just to get me back on Prime.

That's normal for non-prime. You get thrown onto the back of the priority queue but at the same time get on the wild scheduling ride their systems take.

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#144

Post by aidos »

ilikepi wrote: post #110
jjbinx007 wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ads on Amazon Prime are infuriating. And I can't help think how annoying it must be for people with disabilities. My other bugbear are the auto playing videos on Netflix and the use of massive spoilers in episode thumbnails. As a single consumer in a vast ocean I don't think my opinions will ever be listened to. Right now it's worth putting up with this crap as the benefits outweigh the cost but if it gets any worse…

> My other bugbear are the auto playing videos on Netflix and the use of massive spoilers in episode thumbnails. You can actually turn off "Autoplay previews" now. You have to log into your account from a web browser, and then look at the Playback settings for the profile you want to change.

What you can’t turn off is the bit where they drop you into another trailer when you’ve just finished watching a series after months of investment. A little time to digest would be real nice.

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#145

Post by [deleted] »

dmd wrote: post #120
grishka wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Okay, you're probably right. It might be a better option to give an app a sandboxed storage location instead, just so the files it put there remain there because it might expect to find them there later.

... isn't that exactly what access to storage does? Do any (mobile) platforms give access to NON sandboxed storage?

[deleted]

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#146

Post by drdec »

SifJar wrote: post #112
Philip-J-Fry wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I personally don't mind the ads on Amazon Prime because they're instantly skippable and do actually show things I might be interested in. Plus they don't show random shit like ads for a car or a TV or something. I don't sit and browse Amazon (because the browsing experience on Amazon prime is dogshit), so I go straight to anything I want to watch on there. The only opportunity to discover new shows on there is usuall…

"instantly skippable" depends on device I think. For a long time, there was no "Skip" button in the Roku app, you could only manually forward through it. It has now been added, but very possible there are apps on other devices still missing that feature

My experience - I have a TCL Roku TV, no skip button on the remote. When the promos play on Amazon Prime a Skip control (link? button?) appears on the lower left of the screen with focus. If I press OK on my remote it activates and goes right to the content.

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#147

Post by Tepix »

malka wrote: post #87
rad_gruchalski wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> FYI - never use oauth to log into anything you care about. Interesting remark. I'm not objecting but it's interesting that this goes against what can one read here very often from people who comment on new products, which goes like this: "if you offered oauth sign up, I'd sign up but won't bother with creating an account". Just an observation.

I'm the opposite. 'only Google and Facebook Auth ? Can't create account ? Bye.'

It vastly increases the tracking that FB and Google can do. Bad idea. Also, knowing Google, perhaps they one day decide to discount the oauth login feature?

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#148

Post by navbaker »

aidos wrote: post #144
ilikepi wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> My other bugbear are the auto playing videos on Netflix and the use of massive spoilers in episode thumbnails. You can actually turn off "Autoplay previews" now. You have to log into your account from a web browser, and then look at the Playback settings for the profile you want to change.

What you can’t turn off is the bit where they drop you into another trailer when you’ve just finished watching a series after months of investment. A little time to digest would be real nice.

Your "time to digest" is Netflix's "fleeting window of opportunity to keep you engaged" or whatever businessy term describes that.

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#149

Post by Symbiote »

matsemann wrote: post #60
KingOfCoders wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same with the ads for Amazon videos on Amazon Prime. They are ads and I don't want ads. But they don't see it that way (don't get me started on the forced watching of texts on Blue Rays).

Yes wtf, I'm already paying and trying to watch a series I enjoy, stop pestering me. Just one of many dark patterns at Amazon, cancelling Prime is so difficult that Norwegan Consumer Council and 15 others yesterday started a legal fight with Amazon: https://www.forbrukerradet.no/siste-nytt/amazon-manipulates-... The video there is quite aggravating.

As if that wasn't enough, the full complaint shows that after all that scrolling and clicking (I lost count), an email is sent with a big yellow button, and the website starts showing the same button, "Continue your membership", which re-subscribes with a single click.

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox now requires access to contacts for Google login

#150

Post by donohoe »

*sigh*

I would pay a lot of money for a service like the one Dropbox was in in its first few years. That is the service that I need now, not all this shiny crud.

I've been a Dropbox user for 12+ years.

I imagine it as buying a car 10 years ago because it solved all your mobility needs (shopping, occasional longer trips, dropping kids/family members to their events etc). You wander into the garage 12 years later and you have this monstrosity with five wheels, built-in backseat crayons, 20-feet long, flippers, and just two functional doors.

I don't need that. I certainly don't want that, and I'm actively looking to move away when my annual renewal comes up.

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