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Straight from their privacy policy [0]: -- Please note: To ensure easy account creation, minimal customer errors, and reduced support inquiries, Instapaper acc

Straight from their privacy policy [0]: -- Please note: To ensure easy account creation, minimal customer errors, and reduced support inquiries, Instapaper accounts initially do not have passwords. If left without a password, anyone can access your account if they know or guess your username. -- This sounds like a serious security issue if you ask me. [0] = https://www.instapaper.com/privacy https://www.instapaper.com/privacy

bthdonohue 8y ago
Hey there – we started requiring passwords many years ago, but the service originally launched without requiring a password or email address. You can read more about it here: http://blog.instapaper.com/post/2318776738 http://blog.instapaper.com/post/2318776738
- _susanoo 8y ago
  I'm not sure how requiring a minimum password length of 1 character solves anything. Just tried it out and apparently 'a' is an acceptable password. The article hammers on accessiblity over security and I think you've taken this too far. A minimum password length of 8 is not a 'strange requirement'.
  - diminoten 8y ago
    Password requirements don't really protect the business, they protect the user, and if the user isn't interested in protecting their data, why should the company force them to care?
    - wpietri 8y ago
      Yeah, I just don't see the risk here. I don't keep my old magazines in a safe. They go under the coffee table, and then they go outside to the recycling bin.
      - sjs 8y ago
        In some countries what you read may be sensitive info for many people.
        wpietri 8y ago
        In which case, I'm thinking people in those countries know enough to set a password.
scarface74 8y ago
I think this was originally done when Marco Arment created Instapaper. He’s been trying to come up with a way to avoid passwords for years. With Overcast - his podcast player, he also doesn’t require a username or password anymore if you’re just using the iOS apps. You can add a username and password to your account if you need to use the web client. But of course this is more secure. It’s piggybacking off the fact that you are logged into your Apple account (no, the Apple ID that is being used is not your actual email address, it’s a token) https://marco.org/2018/04/27/overcast42 https://marco.org/2018/04/27/overcast42
draw_down 8y ago
I always thought that was great. What is the security issue exactly, people will read copies of publicly-accessible web pages that I saved? If I am so worried about that I can set a password.

bthdonohue 8y ago

Hey there – we started requiring passwords many years ago, but the service originally launched without requiring a password or email address. You can read more about it here: http://blog.instapaper.com/post/2318776738 http://blog.instapaper.com/post/2318776738

_susanoo 8y ago
I'm not sure how requiring a minimum password length of 1 character solves anything. Just tried it out and apparently 'a' is an acceptable password. The article hammers on accessiblity over security and I think you've taken this too far. A minimum password length of 8 is not a 'strange requirement'.
- diminoten 8y ago
  Password requirements don't really protect the business, they protect the user, and if the user isn't interested in protecting their data, why should the company force them to care?
  - wpietri 8y ago
    Yeah, I just don't see the risk here. I don't keep my old magazines in a safe. They go under the coffee table, and then they go outside to the recycling bin.
    - sjs 8y ago
      In some countries what you read may be sensitive info for many people.
      - wpietri 8y ago
        In which case, I'm thinking people in those countries know enough to set a password.

scarface74 8y ago

I think this was originally done when Marco Arment created Instapaper. He’s been trying to come up with a way to avoid passwords for years. With Overcast - his podcast player, he also doesn’t require a username or password anymore if you’re just using the iOS apps. You can add a username and password to your account if you need to use the web client. But of course this is more secure. It’s piggybacking off the fact that you are logged into your Apple account (no, the Apple ID that is being used is not your actual email address, it’s a token) https://marco.org/2018/04/27/overcast42 https://marco.org/2018/04/27/overcast42

draw_down 8y ago

I always thought that was great. What is the security issue exactly, people will read copies of publicly-accessible web pages that I saved? If I am so worried about that I can set a password.