undefined | Better HN

0 pointspatmcc12y ago0 comments

>>We actually ask websites to tell they're a part of this, but we cannot control what they do because they can simply display:none.

You could certainly just check to see they're using it properly. Do a screen scrape or even have someone hit the page every month or two, ban anyone abusing it by not notifying users.

0 comments

joaojeronimo12y ago

that may be harder to do efficiently than building the entire platform and we're an extremely small team. I'm sure some day we'll do it but can't prioritize that now.

patmccOP12y ago

Really? How many websites are signed up / do you expect to sign up? Can you not spare 5 minutes per site per month to make sure there's a notification and/or opt-in? Or come up with an automated way to check it. Or use mechanical turk and pay somebody $0.50 per site to check for you.

If you can't prioritize something as important as running an ethical (and law abiding - take a very close look at the ramifications of unauthorized computer usage, which I think it could be argued you're doing with this platform) business, then you really shouldn't be in business.

pgfonseca12y ago

It isn't as much a matter of ability to verify, but to enforce. Currently the platform is supplied by quite a few websites (over 100), and the best way to get them to adequately communicate this is through proper incentives.

The incentives must be: if you do not comply, your content won't be monetized (as would happen with ads).

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse