5 ms·

I would use them if you could pay anonymously. Using a search engine where every query is tied to my credit card is not for me.

by nltrf 3y ago

freediver 3y ago
Searches are not tied to an account, Kagi does not even log searches. [1] What would be the point when your search history would just be a liability? That is the whole point of the paid search business model. [1] https://kagi.com/privacy https://kagi.com/privacy
- doubtfulcan 3y ago
  How would Kagi enforce quotas if they can't link searches to the account paying for them?
  - 1vuio0pswjnm7 3y ago
    IP address. The classic example is scholarly/academic journals. Access by subscribing university libraries and corporations is still generally dependent on IP address. It has been this way for as long as I can remember. Early 90s at least. An expected retort might be "But consumer IP addresses are subject to change." True, but sometimes a "static" IP is non-negotiable. For example, in the past if one subscribed to ICANN's zone file access program, which is public information open to access by anyone, not only university libraries or corporations, a static IP address had to be provided. Of course one could use a consumer IP address because those can change infrequently, sometimes on a timescale of years. If it ever changed then one had to execute a new agreement. Perhaps the requirement for a static IP has been dropped but I honestly doubt it. Rate-limiting/access control by IP address is common and straightforward. However so-called "tech" companies have shown they cannot be trusted when collecting information from users. For example, Twitter and Facebook each claimed they were requesting phone numbers from users for "security" reasons but it turned out they were using them for commercial purposes.
    - doubtfulcan 3y ago
      Wouldn't they have to validate a paying customer to tie it to an IP aswell? If there is a point where a user is identifiable, it can't be rolled back with a "trust us" in my opinion if the focus is privacy.
      - 1vuio0pswjnm7 3y ago
        Sometimes service providers on the internet try to accomodate "anonymous" payment via wire transfer or other non-credit card payment methods. VPNs are one example. Whether this is significantly "anonymous" is debatable. An obvious question is whether the service provider retains payment information after payment is made and if so, why. To provide service, arguably the provider only needs to know "this IP address is paid up through [date]". It does not need to know "this IP address is associated with [user]". It does not need to collect or retain any information about [user].
  - freediver 3y ago
    We just increase search counter by one.

I would use them if you could pay anonymously. Using a search engine where every query is tied to my credit card is not for me.

by nltrf 3y ago

I would use them if you could pay anonymously. Using a search engine where every query is tied to my credit card is not for me.

freediver 3y ago

Searches are not tied to an account, Kagi does not even log searches. [1] What would be the point when your search history would just be a liability? That is the whole point of the paid search business model. [1] https://kagi.com/privacy https://kagi.com/privacy

doubtfulcan 3y ago
How would Kagi enforce quotas if they can't link searches to the account paying for them?
- 1vuio0pswjnm7 3y ago
  IP address. The classic example is scholarly/academic journals. Access by subscribing university libraries and corporations is still generally dependent on IP address. It has been this way for as long as I can remember. Early 90s at least. An expected retort might be "But consumer IP addresses are subject to change." True, but sometimes a "static" IP is non-negotiable. For example, in the past if one subscribed to ICANN's zone file access program, which is public information open to access by anyone, not only university libraries or corporations, a static IP address had to be provided. Of course one could use a consumer IP address because those can change infrequently, sometimes on a timescale of years. If it ever changed then one had to execute a new agreement. Perhaps the requirement for a static IP has been dropped but I honestly doubt it. Rate-limiting/access control by IP address is common and straightforward. However so-called "tech" companies have shown they cannot be trusted when collecting information from users. For example, Twitter and Facebook each claimed they were requesting phone numbers from users for "security" reasons but it turned out they were using them for commercial purposes.
  - doubtfulcan 3y ago
    Wouldn't they have to validate a paying customer to tie it to an IP aswell? If there is a point where a user is identifiable, it can't be rolled back with a "trust us" in my opinion if the focus is privacy.
    - 1vuio0pswjnm7 3y ago
      Sometimes service providers on the internet try to accomodate "anonymous" payment via wire transfer or other non-credit card payment methods. VPNs are one example. Whether this is significantly "anonymous" is debatable. An obvious question is whether the service provider retains payment information after payment is made and if so, why. To provide service, arguably the provider only needs to know "this IP address is paid up through [date]". It does not need to know "this IP address is associated with [user]". It does not need to collect or retain any information about [user].
- freediver 3y ago
  We just increase search counter by one.