Why does everything require an account these days?
I just wanted to try out a simple to-do list app. Next thing I know, it's asking for my email, phone number, and the name of my first pet. I'm not buying a house — I just want to tick off "buy milk."
Whatever happened to lightweight, no-signup tools? Devs, bring back simplicity please.
/end rant

Many things are not made free and such tool owners want to sell your data in exchange

Nice profile.

I'm somewhat okay with websites that require an account. But why does everything needs to be an app that you have to download on your phone. Why can we not use your website? It's just some basic CRUD application anyway.

@asgs Yeah, sadly that's the trade-off now. I just wish they'd be upfront about it instead of pretending it's just a "signup for your convenience."

@wojtek322 Totally agree. Not everything needs to be a full-blown app — especially when a simple, responsive website would do the job just fine. I get that apps offer better engagement or offline features, but for basic stuff like to-do lists or notes, a no-frills web tool would be much more user-friendly. Bring back the browser!

@Helenhelen I assume it is because your email and other data might be sold later.

My union decided to remove some features and only have them visible in the app. Like a basic feature as filling in your new employer. That's no longer possible on their website and their app is hella bugging. Just because of this, i'm thinking of swapping unions lol

Our electricity provider did hide on their website where they show our current electric usage. In the app, it's front & center but their website it's hidden after 5-6 clicks.

@wojtek322 There are a load of rules about cookies. Not a browser => they're not called cookies => there are no rules. That's my theory.

It's not always about selling data. It's also a common method to reduce spam and bots.

urgh mobile apps needing accounts

like a fucking pedometer counter. why?

@wojtek322 that's a boy you're talking to young man. Don't worry, happened to the best of us. My princess bot almost got laid with AoK. She was just a few days old. Disgusting.

I have domains that I make bogus accounts for. Then only let places see the accounts I want them to see. So any place I don't really trust gets something like:

bogus@<domain>

fuckyou@<domain>

yourmom@<domain>

etc

Back in early web telnet places wanted email. So I would often put in: fuckyou@eatshit.cum. This might actually work on some websites because some don't verify.

@Helenhelen

Apps are preferred nowadays because, even if mobile OS limit the most dangerous permissions, they still allow almost full fingerprinting, which browsers don't.

Also, inability to block ads and similar in apps, as opposed to the web.

On the other side, those devs making those useful tools want to eat too, so not everything can be free... If you don't pay for a product, you *are* the product, but that should be common knowledge for anyone tech savvy.

It is something I endorsed in my last company, donating a cumulative 2% of project revenue to open source projects that eased ours.

They don't do it anymore though, but it's a way to make it possible.

The people I've seen used sites will use a different computer and be confused as to "why is my stuff gone" so I don't mind the account so much, but I like how some places do it like civit, just put in email we will send link - no password necessary. My mom could even figure that out (but not a password, she has to write that down)