3 ms·

Is this a hosted service? If so, in light of the article[1] posted here yesterday, I think I'll pass. Not that I have any suspicion that these guys would abuse

by k3n 14y ago

Is this a hosted service? If so, in light of the article[1] posted here yesterday, I think I'll pass. Not that I have any suspicion that these guys would abuse my data, but it'd be all-to-easy... 1. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4907609 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4907609

bryanh 14y ago
Although I understand the sentiment, I think it is in poor taste to compare Olark, a very reputable company with a solid track record, with whatever that fly-by-night company is doing.
- k3n 14y ago
  I've never heard of them....and I'm far from a spring chicken. What guarantees can you give that they don't do something like that today -- other than anecdotal evidence as a complete outsider? Regardless, my concern is still there and I will still refuse to use it. To each his own, I'm not trying to campaign against them, just sharing my opinion.
  - amw 14y ago
    Just for what it's worth, and speaking as an Olark employee, we don't, and don't plan to. But I totally get your concerns, and healthy skepticism is valuable.
    - k3n 14y ago
      Thanks, and I truly mean no ill will. To play conspiracy theorist though, I doubt anyone -- save for a select few high-level execs -- would even have a clue if something shady like that was even happening. But that's just privacy paranoia talk... Another point that I originally excluded, but which I think is relevant on a different front, is that y'all are limiting your customer base with your setup. I'm sure you're well aware, and perhaps it's something that you'd like to do eventually or perhaps you've investigated it and it's not economically viable, but there are likely many apps that could well use something like this, but can't. For instance, the app that I work on for my day job is PCI & HIPAA compliant, and we've had to roll our own solutions for many features due to the fact that our app is intranet-hosted, aka. 100% insulated from the internet. Even if our app was internet-facing, trusting an outside vendor with sensitive data is non-starter, unless they are also PCI/HIPAA complaint, as is any solution that has the capacity for such data to leave our app. But again, thanks for the reply and I wish you the best of luck!
tolmark12 14y ago
agreed, our experience with Olark has been wonderful. Been using them with two different companies over the last 3 years.
ianstormtaylor 14y ago
Agreed with everyone else, Olark is awesome. Their trusted by tons of big names, and completely different from the article posted yesterday.

by k3n 14y ago

bryanh 14y ago

Although I understand the sentiment, I think it is in poor taste to compare Olark, a very reputable company with a solid track record, with whatever that fly-by-night company is doing.

k3n 14y ago
I've never heard of them....and I'm far from a spring chicken. What guarantees can you give that they don't do something like that today -- other than anecdotal evidence as a complete outsider? Regardless, my concern is still there and I will still refuse to use it. To each his own, I'm not trying to campaign against them, just sharing my opinion.
- amw 14y ago
  Just for what it's worth, and speaking as an Olark employee, we don't, and don't plan to. But I totally get your concerns, and healthy skepticism is valuable.
  - k3n 14y ago
    Thanks, and I truly mean no ill will. To play conspiracy theorist though, I doubt anyone -- save for a select few high-level execs -- would even have a clue if something shady like that was even happening. But that's just privacy paranoia talk... Another point that I originally excluded, but which I think is relevant on a different front, is that y'all are limiting your customer base with your setup. I'm sure you're well aware, and perhaps it's something that you'd like to do eventually or perhaps you've investigated it and it's not economically viable, but there are likely many apps that could well use something like this, but can't. For instance, the app that I work on for my day job is PCI & HIPAA compliant, and we've had to roll our own solutions for many features due to the fact that our app is intranet-hosted, aka. 100% insulated from the internet. Even if our app was internet-facing, trusting an outside vendor with sensitive data is non-starter, unless they are also PCI/HIPAA complaint, as is any solution that has the capacity for such data to leave our app. But again, thanks for the reply and I wish you the best of luck!

tolmark12 14y ago

agreed, our experience with Olark has been wonderful. Been using them with two different companies over the last 3 years.

ianstormtaylor 14y ago

Agreed with everyone else, Olark is awesome. Their trusted by tons of big names, and completely different from the article posted yesterday.