
Ask HN: re. the darkpatterns article, what should ethical software look like? - benologist
Currently on the front page -<p>https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=12180072<p>http:&#x2F;&#x2F;arstechnica.com&#x2F;security&#x2F;2016&#x2F;07&#x2F;dark-patterns-are-designed-to-trick-you-and-theyre-all-over-the-web&#x2F;
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angersock
It doesn't really matter what it looks like, because it underperforms in the
market and is at best a feel-good curiosity.

Users at this point at trained--if they weren't already--to go ahead and do
all of the things that make these techniques successful.

A starting point might be having software/businesses that don't rely on
advertising and surveillance, but lord knows nobody wants to give that cash
cow up.

~~~
notduncansmith
I don't believe that advertising and surveillance have to be as tightly
coupled as they currently are.

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benologist
Some features I love to see:

\- ability to export my data

\- ability to close my account

\- ability to upgrade, downgrade, end subscription

\- everything private by default

\- explicit consent to make stuff publicly visible/shared

\- don't automatically bill me when a trial ends

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antoineMoPa
If we follow the FSF's principles, there are no ethical SaaS.

[https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/who-does-that-server-
really-s...](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/who-does-that-server-really-
serve.en.html)

So ethical software would be free software hosted on your own machine.

