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I doubt this had much to do with GDPR given the advanced shutdown notice Wikispaces have given, which means their service will still be active long after GDPR c

I doubt this had much to do with GDPR given the advanced shutdown notice Wikispaces have given, which means their service will still be active long after GDPR comes into effect. That's possible, however it could also be that they've cleared any money that they could be fined for out of the LLC and are just hoping that rudimentary measures will be enough to get them by without much hassle from EU regulators even if they aren't in full compliance, while giving enough warning to users to be courteous.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
laumars 9y ago
You're overthinking it in my opinion. If it were GDPR related then you could bet they'd have added something about that. More likely is they just have years of tech debt and their operating profit isn't high enough to warrant the reinvestment into the platform. Particularly if their paying membership has been in decline (or even just stagnating). They're in a crowded space and sometimes it's better to bail out while you're still in the black rather than throwing money at a problem that simply is never going to see high returns anyway. Also for what it's worth the EU isn't some evil organisation that will go after every single business until everyone is bankrupt. There seems to be a fair amount of hysteria in your post about just how negatively GDPR will affect the average online business. So long as you handle your data properly and don't work in the ad / social media industry or other sectors where your business is selling user data, you don't have much to worry about. Frankly I welcome the GDPR.
- downandout 9y ago
  Also for what it's worth the EU isn't some evil organisation that will go after every single business until everyone is bankrupt You must not have much experience with government-types. Laws are always used to the furthest extent that they can be. In this case, the EU has declared itself an Internet dictator, with the authority to reach into the pockets of foreign companies that have no presence in the EU. This will be a boon to government coffers, at least for a few years, and then most foreign sites will close their doors to EU traffic as horror stories flourish. Only a handful of giants that can afford to comply will still allow this traffic, and they will be able to obtain user permission to do anything they want, because of the lack of competitors still serving the EU market (rendering informed consent and all disclosures effectively worthless).
  - mst 9y ago
    > You must not have much experience with government-types. Laws are always used to the furthest extent that they can be. In this case, the EU has declared itself an Internet dictator Found the vegan^Wlibertarian
  - laumars 9y ago
    That's not how the EU operates nor has it ever done. I live in the EU (and also work with online services by the way) and I'll grant you the EU is about as anti-business as governments get but only to the extent that it actually looks out for consumer rights. Which is a good thing because you're not going to get any of that from the US government. However the EU has also frequently put processes in place to protect businesses - particularly the little ones - from unfair bullying (eg FRAND patents). Let's be honest, the web / online industry isn't new anymore. They've had a chance to self regulate and instead all they've done is finely honed how to capitalise on their customers data. Even services you pay for are now in the business of tracking their users and selling that data. So someone had to step in and regulate the industry. And if GDPR really affects your forums that significantly (I'd wager not because forums are a dying breed and you're hardly sounds at the forefront of forum tech, from little you have disclosed) then I'd suggest you're likely doing something shady with your user data as well in which case I welcome the EU protecting me against your unethical business model as well. But more likely is the argument that your site isn't that big of a risk and you're just being irrational / listening to so bad advice. Maybe the consultants you've bought in are trying to justify their own jobs by feeding you FUD about GDPR? Either way I'd recommend you switch kool aid brands.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

laumars 9y ago

You're overthinking it in my opinion. If it were GDPR related then you could bet they'd have added something about that. More likely is they just have years of tech debt and their operating profit isn't high enough to warrant the reinvestment into the platform. Particularly if their paying membership has been in decline (or even just stagnating). They're in a crowded space and sometimes it's better to bail out while you're still in the black rather than throwing money at a problem that simply is never going to see high returns anyway. Also for what it's worth the EU isn't some evil organisation that will go after every single business until everyone is bankrupt. There seems to be a fair amount of hysteria in your post about just how negatively GDPR will affect the average online business. So long as you handle your data properly and don't work in the ad / social media industry or other sectors where your business is selling user data, you don't have much to worry about. Frankly I welcome the GDPR.

downandout 9y ago
Also for what it's worth the EU isn't some evil organisation that will go after every single business until everyone is bankrupt You must not have much experience with government-types. Laws are always used to the furthest extent that they can be. In this case, the EU has declared itself an Internet dictator, with the authority to reach into the pockets of foreign companies that have no presence in the EU. This will be a boon to government coffers, at least for a few years, and then most foreign sites will close their doors to EU traffic as horror stories flourish. Only a handful of giants that can afford to comply will still allow this traffic, and they will be able to obtain user permission to do anything they want, because of the lack of competitors still serving the EU market (rendering informed consent and all disclosures effectively worthless).
- mst 9y ago
  > You must not have much experience with government-types. Laws are always used to the furthest extent that they can be. In this case, the EU has declared itself an Internet dictator Found the vegan^Wlibertarian
- laumars 9y ago
  That's not how the EU operates nor has it ever done. I live in the EU (and also work with online services by the way) and I'll grant you the EU is about as anti-business as governments get but only to the extent that it actually looks out for consumer rights. Which is a good thing because you're not going to get any of that from the US government. However the EU has also frequently put processes in place to protect businesses - particularly the little ones - from unfair bullying (eg FRAND patents). Let's be honest, the web / online industry isn't new anymore. They've had a chance to self regulate and instead all they've done is finely honed how to capitalise on their customers data. Even services you pay for are now in the business of tracking their users and selling that data. So someone had to step in and regulate the industry. And if GDPR really affects your forums that significantly (I'd wager not because forums are a dying breed and you're hardly sounds at the forefront of forum tech, from little you have disclosed) then I'd suggest you're likely doing something shady with your user data as well in which case I welcome the EU protecting me against your unethical business model as well. But more likely is the argument that your site isn't that big of a risk and you're just being irrational / listening to so bad advice. Maybe the consultants you've bought in are trying to justify their own jobs by feeding you FUD about GDPR? Either way I'd recommend you switch kool aid brands.