

Yik Yak’s Founders on the Value of Anonymous Apps - Errorcod3
http://techcrunch.com/2015/05/05/yik-yaks-founders-on-the-value-of-anonymous-apps/

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A_COMPUTER
Having used the app, if this is the future of discussion then I don't want it.
There are innumerable ways to trip concealed content filters that then
deceptively remove posts in a way that makes it look like community action
rather than top-down content moderation. Some of these filters are great for
preventing liability for their app, but make the app worthless for useful
discussion. I can't wait until they implement their natural language filters
so that mentioning suicide or a gun generates an automated community check or
police visit, or it's just impossible to violate opaque ideological norms set
by app creators in a high-tech version of manufactured consent.

Using modern social apps for me is starting to feel like navigating a Kafka-
esque bureaucracy. I don't know the right thing to do to be heard, I don't
know the wrong thing to do to not bring down sanctions on me, and I often
struggle to navigate the app because I don't know the invisible use patterns
behind unlabeled buttons and hidden swipe menus, dot-replies, etc. Am I
shadow-banned? Does the app hide my replies until I pass some invisible
commenting threshold? How do I page through replies? Are my posts being seen
by a few people or everyone, and by what criteria? All invisible.

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danso
Yeah, it's the classic tension between anonymity (also, security) and
utility...this morning, a prominent part of Stanford's campus was closed off
due to a memorial service for Dave Goldberg. Someone asked what was going on
and someone attempted to reply...I don't know what the replier posted, only
that it apparently got deleted, so the replier just settled for posting
"whatever, just google surveymonkey"

I figure there's some kind of NLP entity recognition for names/proper
nouns...and perhaps the mechanism/policy is set to be more safe-than-sorry (in
favor of deleting content). I just can't see how this will translate into a
valuable community, though. I go to YikYak whenever I want to know the kind of
things that are going on but aren't covered in a news source, but
factual/substantive discussion is effectively discouraged by the content
policy. How long until the general userbase just gets bored of seeing ripped-
off memes and shower thoughts?

(on the other hand, maybe it doesn't need to depend on a userbase that's not
in college...every year, YikYak can count on getting a fresh userbase to
replace the graduating seniors who end up quitting the app)

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A_COMPUTER
Yes, there is an automated system in YikYak that artificially applies
downvotes on a timer if you make a post with an anglophone name in it, faking
natural downvotes.

I admit there's a tension there, but a large part of my complaint is that it's
intentionally opaque to the point of actively trying to hide itself. Ethical,
human-friendly moderation systems have at least some degree of transparency.

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rjbwork
Just went to install this app. Asks for identity, Location (understandable
given the nature), photos, media, files, device ID and call information, and
wi-fi connection info.

No thanks. How can you call your app anonymous and require my identity and
contents of my device?

~~~
ceejayoz
On iOS, it asks only for location data.

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trhway
May it be that iOS quietly gives everything else to the app?

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ceejayoz
iOS permission requests happen in-app rather than at install time, and they're
definitely not "quietly given". Each permission gets a separate dialog,
Apple's review process rejects requests that aren't tied to functionality, and
iOS doesn't allow access _ever_ to device ID, call information, etc.

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lalos
Pseudoanonymous or unilateral anonymity, since I'm almost certain that Yik Yak
keeps track of post and users and with the current state of machine learning
it is trivial to later pinpoint a person with said posts. Don't like the word
anonymous being thrown out there and making users think that they have true
anonymity, to me it almost feels like false advertisement.

~~~
theorique
"anonymous flavor" or "anonymous style" apps

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rajatrocks
"For instance, Secret’s failure to quickly address the bullying on its network
eventually led to its downfall." \- this is pure conjecture being presented as
fact...

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AndrewKemendo
_For instance, Secret’s failure to quickly address the bullying on its network
eventually led to its downfall._

I didn't get that from the secret shut-down at all. From all the talk here
after the shut down it was largely a factor of 1. low quality secrets being
gamed to get to the top and thus not interesting and slowing growth and 2.
it's rebranding making it dull.

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nly
It sounds cool, but it appears to be full of bored stoner comments
("waaaassssup" etc.) and people just being obscene. There are also very few
updates in my fairly populated area. It's going to be hard to create a
community

I'm also fairly sure I could just spoof the location of my rooted phone and
view and post to whatever region I liked.

