Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login
Ask HN: Could someone please create a GNU GPL contact tracing diary?
2 points by sigmaprimus on April 27, 2020 | hide | past | favorite | 2 comments
I have seen several people on this site asking how they can help, well...I have put a lot of thought into that question and have come up with an answer.

Please create a decentralized tool framework that will allow "people" to record the people that "they" may have come in proximity(Close Contact) to.

Yes Apple and Google are developing tools that will provide this, but do we really want to put the fate of our societies and lives into the hands of "for profit" corporations? Or worse government bureaucrats?

I am not capable of developing this, my technical skills amount to flashing a SD card and stuffing it into a SoC computer. BUT.. I know there are several people that frequent this site that ARE capable of developing this tool. Beyond that I am the poster child for dying from this virus, I don't think I will be able to avoid catching the virus and when I do, the odds dont look good for me. So in a final attempt to make my troubled life not be all in vane, I am humbly asking for you to create this framework for the betterment of mankind.

The only way to ensure privacy and in turn convice people to trust and engage is to make the tool open and transparent. Put the control into the hands of everyone and give society the opportunity to succeed without being under the thumb of big business or government.

Ideally I would think a system with the option for user developed plugins would allow for the fastest launch and distribution. Beyond that I don't really know.

I know this might sound like I'm asking for you to come up with a cure for the common cold...but really thats what were all waiting for in the current idea of a vaccine.

Thankyou for taking the time to read my question and please consider development of a free for everyone contact tracing personal diary framework.




I get the sentiment and yes perhaps a personal application for this has some value to the individual. I do think however the risk of segmentation around this is real, if we all use different apps/platforms is there any value to it? For years I have and still do avoid a lot of cloud services, chat apps etc to ensure my privacy; but when it comes to this I strongly suggest we put our concerns aside and get behind whichever app/platform is recommended by our respective governments.


Troy Hunt has an active Twitter feed talking about just this https://twitter.com/troyhunt




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: