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Feedly Forces Its Users To Create Google+ Profiles
somegeekynick writes "Feedly users, a lot of whom migrated from the now-defunct Google Reader, are now finding out that they will not be able to login to the service without a Google+ Profile. In a blog post from Edwin Khodabakchian, which was posted almost at the same time the change rolled out, the reason for the change is stated as following Google's own move from using OAuth to Google+ for authentication. What has riled up a lot of users, as can be read in the comments, is that this change has come without warning and a lot of feeds are now being 'held hostage' by Feedly, especially for users who are reluctant to create Google+ Profiles."
More importantly, this is a non-news story since they have since rolled back those changes.
This is a sig. This is only a sig. Had this been an actual sig you would have been informed where to tune for more sigs.
Feedly's login policy was what forced me to use Inoreader (www.inoreader.com), the only reader I was aware of that provided a standalone login. And boy am I happier for it. Light, fast and simple yet also feature rich. Just like the Google reader I used to know and love....
Software developer should NEVER try to roll their own authentication, just like they shouldn't try to roll their own encryption.
Security is the domain of PROFESSIONALS and EXPERTS only. Your average softdev should NEVER EVER EVER try to roll their own authentication.
It's better to use existing software written by PROFESSIONALS and EXPERTS. Like OpenSSH. That's what everybody should use for authentication.
Wow. How wrong could this be? Let me count the ways...
Nah. I have better things to do. I'll just say that a "real" developer uses tools developed by others to "roll their own" authentication. Nobody said you should to invent your own hashing algorithm or anything. Just follow recommended practices, use a known-to-be decent hash method, and be sure to salt.
It ain't rocket science.
What is the issue with creating a Google+ account?
The issue is that using "John Doe" as your name when it is not your name is in violation of their Names Policy, you are subject to having the account suspended or canceled.
This is so much bullshit on so many levels. Using a real-life and permanent name in conjunction with social networking activity is, in my opinion, extremely stupid. Making this a requirement for participation is frightening.
G+ has taken some steps in the right direction, but IMO this has been more talk and less action than is necessary and their behavior with forcing G+ membership for Google store/youtube comments is abhorant.
Preserving anonymity, pseudonyms, and online identity separate from 'real life", insofar as is possible, is essential to a healthy Internet.
AC
Try this:
https://www.startpage.com/
It uses google, but even google don't know who you are when you go through these guys :)
-- Fuck Beta
I highly recommend setting up the free tt-rss service. There's also a nice mobile client.
The main, crappy replacement. The real replacement is Newsblur.
It's either on the beat or off the beat, it's that easy.
I moderate therefore I rule!
--
Because I want to at least *feel* like I have SOME sort of control over what I do online and where my personal effects end up?
Then you should like the G+/YouTube integration because now you can make YouTube comments that are not public. Pick the people/circles you want to share your comment with and only those people will be able to see your comment on the video. Yes, for this to work they have to have Google+ accounts, too, or they will be part of "the public" and be unable to see what you wrote.
I'm not sure if the video owner can see comments that are shared privately. I suspect not.
Anyway, if it's control you're looking for, this change gives you control that you didn't previously have.
(Disclaimer: I'm a Google engineer, but I don't work on YouTube or Google+. My only real knowledge of them is as a (satisfied) user.)
Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.