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Probably a smart idea to be suspicious of new apps, though I will say I am someone who care deeply about privacy. You can take a look at my previous project Boo

Probably a smart idea to be suspicious of new apps, though I will say I am someone who care deeply about privacy. You can take a look at my previous project Boop ( https://boop.okat.best/ https://boop.okat.best/ ), which is open source and has been on the App Store for 6 years, yet I still don't have any analytics or data collection in it. I have no clue how many people use it beyond download figures I get from Apple. I have considered making this app open source, and it may still happen in the future, but I do want to release the Android version first. I'm worried that somebody will see my code, repackage it with a new name, beat me with better SEO (which would be easy considering how dumb the copy is on my website) and sell it for profit before I have a chance to reach a wider audience. This is something that did happen with Boop, not a hypothetical. The reality is that this app cannot collect anything valuable either way. It's a simple serving app that only uses your microphone for a couple of seconds at a time, and I assume most people will delete it once it serves its purpose. If I wanted to monetize it, the best way would be to add a "Pro" version with a subscription or to add ads, but I have no interest in doing either. This is a fun side project/portfolio piece, and I'd rather collect internet love distributing a ton of free copies, rather than sell a small fraction of that number of paid copies for $0.99 and have to deal with things like marketing, taxes, and customer support.

saganus 2y ago
You are the Boop author!? Awesome! I use it and it's very handy. Thanks for creating useful no-nonsense tools!
- okatbest 2y ago
  Small world! Thanks for using it, I'm glad you like it
hunter2_ 2y ago
> I'm worried that somebody will see my code But you're not worried that HN folks might run the app through a decompiler and find something approximately as revealing as your source code would be? The results might not be ideal depending on how much obfuscation you use, but I think it would be enough for someone to get the gist of how to replicate.
- okatbest 2y ago
  I have no issue with people decompiling my code for fun or curiosity. I often put easter eggs in my code or built files for this specific purpose. I never use obfuscation unless there is a security component. The important part is the rest of that sentence, I have an issue with people who steal the code (or concepts) and charge money for it. If I do end up open-sourcing the code later, people will see the code and I have no issue with that.
schobi 2y ago
I understand your hesitation in opening the code. Still, the idea seems really great, low complexity (quick local processing, no database of songs needed) and robust (any reasonable vinyl could work). I suggest considering writing about it. Maybe a whitepaper? A publication? A patent application? May be colab with audio researchers? Or get sponsored from an audiophile record player manufacturer?

saganus 2y ago

You are the Boop author!? Awesome! I use it and it's very handy. Thanks for creating useful no-nonsense tools!

okatbest 2y ago
Small world! Thanks for using it, I'm glad you like it

hunter2_ 2y ago

> I'm worried that somebody will see my code But you're not worried that HN folks might run the app through a decompiler and find something approximately as revealing as your source code would be? The results might not be ideal depending on how much obfuscation you use, but I think it would be enough for someone to get the gist of how to replicate.

okatbest 2y ago
I have no issue with people decompiling my code for fun or curiosity. I often put easter eggs in my code or built files for this specific purpose. I never use obfuscation unless there is a security component. The important part is the rest of that sentence, I have an issue with people who steal the code (or concepts) and charge money for it. If I do end up open-sourcing the code later, people will see the code and I have no issue with that.

schobi 2y ago

I understand your hesitation in opening the code. Still, the idea seems really great, low complexity (quick local processing, no database of songs needed) and robust (any reasonable vinyl could work). I suggest considering writing about it. Maybe a whitepaper? A publication? A patent application? May be colab with audio researchers? Or get sponsored from an audiophile record player manufacturer?