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If you're not paying for it you are the product.
by rapsey 3y ago
If you're not paying for it you are the product.
- nequo 3y agoDo you think that this applies to Wikipedia, GCC, or Neovim too?
- rapsey 3y agoThose are open source projects with people donating their effort into the final product. Signal has employed developers.
- codedokode 3y agoAs Microsoft has shown, you are the product even if you pay them.
- x86x87 3y agosignal is a 501c3 nonprofit and technically this is how the work is founded. you also have the option to donate if you want to "pay" for it.
- OfSanguineFire 3y ago> signal is a 501c3 nonprofit That doesn’t relieve one entirely of fears of betrayal. American 501c3 law allows nonprofits to act like ordinary for-profit corporations in many ways. Such organizations cannot generate a profit (which has a specific legal meaning) but they can amass money to pay as much as they want in salaries to their leadership under employment contracts, or use that money for things that none of the original supporters saw as part of the mission. The community’s insight into finances is limited to peeking into periodic tax filings instead of having insights into (and any oversight over) day-to-day operation.
- x86x87 3y agothis was in response to the claim that if you're not paying you're the product. of course there is still the question of trust
- OfSanguineFire 3y agoI have been active in two organizations that are American 501c3s where the staff, who enjoyed a high-paying position and continually pushed the board for pay raises, explored putting advertising on the organization’s website and selling user data as a way to raise even more funds. So, users can be the product even with 501c3s.
- TheDong 3y agoI don't think that glib saying applies to signal. Signals money comes from two sources: 1. User donations - you can in fact be paying for it, 2. A 50 million dollar initial fund provided by a benevolent sponsor, and probably some other misc funding It does not come from selling ads or user data, which is the usual meaning of that glib saying.
- rapsey 3y agoYeah the money comes from them having all the address books and having the info who is communicating with who. Even if they can't see the messages.