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Please check out our side project, OhLife (from MeetingMix, YC S08)

ohlife.com

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Re: Please check out our side project, OhLife (from MeetingMix, YC S08)

#51

Post by mbenjaminsmith »

colonelxc wrote: post #38
martey wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does say on the home page that "Only you can see your entries." If they are not currently encrypted, that would seem to be untrue.

Even if they do encrypt it, they will have to be able to decrypt them server side to send you your month old posts. That means the owners are technically capable of also reading all of your posts.

That's not entirely true. If this were purely a web-accessible blog, there's no reason you couldn't encrypt/decrypt this in the client (sending and storing encrypted text). You'd have to throw out email posting in that case though.

Re: Please check out our side project, OhLife (from MeetingMix, YC S08)

#53

Post by andreyf »

mbenjaminsmith wrote: post #51
colonelxc wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if they do encrypt it, they will have to be able to decrypt them server side to send you your month old posts. That means the owners are technically capable of also reading all of your posts.

That's not entirely true. If this were purely a web-accessible blog, there's no reason you couldn't encrypt/decrypt this in the client (sending and storing encrypted text). You'd have to throw out email posting in that case though.

I think you're on to something. I look forward to the day when we are shocked by unencrypted private data accessible on the server as we do un-hashed passwords.

Re: Please check out our side project, OhLife (from MeetingMix, YC S08)

#54

Post by andreyf »

sgupta wrote: post #2

Hey HN - we made this in our spare time, just because it was something we wanted to use. When we told some friends about the idea though they wanted to use it too, so we decided to release it. Many thanks for checking it out.

I'm not sure what kind of top-secret lives some of these HN-ers are living, but I enjoyed sharing that my grandma has learned to IM me on Gmail, etc., and I don't think you care enough to read it. :-P

I think I might be likely to pay a yearly fee for this service. Beautiful design, too. Great job all around.

Re: Please check out our side project, OhLife (from MeetingMix, YC S08)

#55

Post by a3_nm »

How exactly is this service better than, say, a simple text file on my own machine with a daily reminder set up through some other means?

Why would I want to use some third-party website for something so simple that I might as well do it myself? I can see some pretty annoying downsides (need to have a crypto layer because I don't want you to be able to read my journal, need to export regularly the data to my own computer because I don't want you to be able to lose my journal), but no real advantages (it's not even more convenient!).

In any case, I believe that the two following statements, at least, are plain wrong:

- "The easiest way to write your life story": no, the easiest way is to fire up a text editor and start writing.

- "Only you can see your entries": should read "Only you and us can see your entries".

Re: Please check out our side project, OhLife (from MeetingMix, YC S08)

#56

Post by phugoid »

adammichaelc wrote: post #13

I notice that a huge part of my daily life is recorded in email conversations with other people -- it would be cool if I could forward a conversation to post@ohlife.com and it would automatically make it a part of my journal and make it aesthetically pleasing at the same time. Great job on the execution of this app. I have talked to others who have had this same idea, but their execution was ugly/unexcting/etc. This…

Let's say you and I have a conversation that you find interesting, and you decide to post that to your journal. Would you bother getting my consent?

Re: Please check out our side project, OhLife (from MeetingMix, YC S08)

#57

Post by kashif »

aw3c2 wrote: post #26

Quick first glance feedback on the page, take it or leave it: a) "the easiest way to" lowercase start and then "Write your life story" uppercase start. Seems weird to me. The other way around or both uppercase. b) Top bar seems empty, maybe an actual logo (that adds some other color/shade) would chance that. c) "See an example" needs no-Javascript fallback. I assumed a video behind it. Pleasant surprise to see someth…

Wow, I didn't notice any of this. My only problem is that I can't understand how I can see my past entries on the web and if there is a web interface for posting to the journal.

Re: Please check out our side project, OhLife (from MeetingMix, YC S08)

#58

Post by dublinclontarf »

mrduncan wrote: post #7

First of all, fantastic design! Is there any way to export posts - for example, if I wanted to share them with a significant other or another family member? Also, and this is mainly curiosity, how do you handle sending posts from the past for the first few days where there really isn't much history?

Yes I love the texture, like it's being done on the back of a torn up, sewn back together tablecloth.

Re: Please check out our side project, OhLife (from MeetingMix, YC S08)

#60

Post by dublinclontarf »

andreyf wrote: post #53
mbenjaminsmith wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not entirely true. If this were purely a web-accessible blog, there's no reason you couldn't encrypt/decrypt this in the client (sending and storing encrypted text). You'd have to throw out email posting in that case though.

I think you're on to something. I look forward to the day when we are shocked by unencrypted private data accessible on the server as we do un-hashed passwords.

There are a number of online password stores where all the information is only decrypted on the client. Nothing new, just not widespread. Can't remember the name.
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