Respectful software

I’m using the term respectful software to describe software products and services that:

  • Maintain your ownership and control over your data.
  • Allow you to export anything you’ve entered or imported into it.
  • Allow you to extend their functionality with other software, without having to ask them or their developers for permission.
  • Don’t sell your information to third parties.
  • Don’t track your activities outside of the site or app.
  • Don’t use your name, likeness or other aspects of your identity without your explicit permission.
  • Don’t allow your data to be mined by third parties without your explicit consent on a per-party basis.
  • Don’t not attempt to “own” any aspect of your data or computing experience except through fair competition (i.e., by trying to be the best at what they do).

Respectful software is software that is built with respect for each individual user, and is a good steward of his or her identity and data.

What do you think? Have I missed anything?


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2 responses to “Respectful software”

  1. Marcus Povey Avatar

    “Make use of the best industry standard technologies available to prevent accidental disclosure of your information” (i.e. no use of unsalted md5 for password storage etc)

    Perhaps more for “Respectful Software Services”, but “Do not comply with third party or governmental requests for an individual’s data, or facilitate governmental or law enforcement fishing expeditions, except when those requests are limited in scope and have been conducted with due process of law”

    1. Ben Werdmuller Avatar

      I’d argue with no use of md5 at all of course, but yeah, totally agree.

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