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Nice idea. What worries me is having to log into what looks like a cloudy service which I imagine stores my personal data, accessed using other cloud credential

Nice idea. What worries me is having to log into what looks like a cloudy service which I imagine stores my personal data, accessed using other cloud credentials. I get that cloud is where the burgers are good at the moment, but my personal preference is for something I can put onto my own server. At home. To that end I've been working on my own analysis tool for personal data. Most of the work has been on a Windows desktop app, and data import is limited to CSV. But data is synchronised to my phone. https://www.wittenburg.co.uk/Entry.aspx?id=0a505400-5bf6-4a6d-b107-6b4b797f33ae https://www.wittenburg.co.uk/Entry.aspx?id=0a505400-5bf6-4a6...

bmelton 13y ago
So, the source is open, if that helps... or, at least was, and will be again. I closed it down temporarily while I separate the 'Personable.com' source from the 'Personable' source, but soon, you'd be able to clone the repo and stand up your own instance of it and host the data yourself, if you preferred. Interact looks neat, but I suppose that this has a slightly different objective. To me, for Personable, the aim is that the API interacts with other services you use. Perhaps for the purpose of making your life easier (e.g., enter a personal API endpoint instead of having to fill out a profile, and let the website read in the data you let them access), perhaps for making the lives of others easier (e.g., your friends want to know where you're at, but don't want to check Facebook, Foursquare and Twitter to see which checkin is the most current), but all of that interaction depends on at least some of that data being net-accessible. I haven't gotten into what should be public vs. what should be private yet, so, thus far, the advice for Personable is to just treat it like you should treat every other cloud service, and not put anything there you wouldn't want the world to read, but privacy options are forthcoming as well.
- Spearchucker 13y ago
  That's fair enough and adds good perspective. Will keep an eye on your progress. Interestingly, open-sourcing Interact is still doing my head in. If I ever finish it I'd like to make some money from it. But at the same time I understand that I get zero security cred for closed source. Happily I can delay that decision for a while...
  - bmelton 13y ago
    If all goes well, I see Personable as being a hosted API provider for those who don't want to bother with hosting it themselves, with the source code otherwise available for those who don't mind, or don't want to relinquish control -- similar to how Wordpress operates currently. There's no inherent reason you can't profit from an open source service, especially if you're able to provide value to those willing to pay for the convenience of not having to run the service themselves, and/or those unable to. Good luck either way. Closed source may not be the death knell you expect.

bmelton 13y ago

So, the source is open, if that helps... or, at least was, and will be again. I closed it down temporarily while I separate the 'Personable.com' source from the 'Personable' source, but soon, you'd be able to clone the repo and stand up your own instance of it and host the data yourself, if you preferred. Interact looks neat, but I suppose that this has a slightly different objective. To me, for Personable, the aim is that the API interacts with other services you use. Perhaps for the purpose of making your life easier (e.g., enter a personal API endpoint instead of having to fill out a profile, and let the website read in the data you let them access), perhaps for making the lives of others easier (e.g., your friends want to know where you're at, but don't want to check Facebook, Foursquare and Twitter to see which checkin is the most current), but all of that interaction depends on at least some of that data being net-accessible. I haven't gotten into what should be public vs. what should be private yet, so, thus far, the advice for Personable is to just treat it like you should treat every other cloud service, and not put anything there you wouldn't want the world to read, but privacy options are forthcoming as well.

Spearchucker 13y ago
That's fair enough and adds good perspective. Will keep an eye on your progress. Interestingly, open-sourcing Interact is still doing my head in. If I ever finish it I'd like to make some money from it. But at the same time I understand that I get zero security cred for closed source. Happily I can delay that decision for a while...
- bmelton 13y ago
  If all goes well, I see Personable as being a hosted API provider for those who don't want to bother with hosting it themselves, with the source code otherwise available for those who don't mind, or don't want to relinquish control -- similar to how Wordpress operates currently. There's no inherent reason you can't profit from an open source service, especially if you're able to provide value to those willing to pay for the convenience of not having to run the service themselves, and/or those unable to. Good luck either way. Closed source may not be the death knell you expect.