My app isn’t untrustworthy at all either. It’s an experimental app which attempts to let users create an iOS app on iOS. My suspicion is that people choose to obfuscate because it’s what’s selected by default.
If I need an email to verify I'm not a bot, that's fine. But if a trusted 3rd party can verify I'm not a bot, then the only reason you would want my email is to do something unethical with it: namely, use my data in a way that I never intended gave you permission to use it.
Being default probably helps, because most people don't know they're doing with software and just accept the defaults assuming they're best practices. If the default were to share the email, you might see more people sharing email, but I would argue it's because people don't know they can and should obfuscate it.
This was addressed in the article. If the service provider does not have your email address, they are severely hampered with regards to customer support.
So sure, it’s default, but unless I’m unique some people will see the default and go “why isn’t every 3rd party login like that?”.
I expect 99% are obfuscating because that’s the sensible choice to make. Giving an app my real email should only be done if there’s an explicit need for this, such as being able to log in from non-Apple devices.
However, I've never built anything directly used "by the public", nor am I very familiar with how Apple Sign in works.
So I'm wondering, as the developer of a trustworthy app, what's the drawback in the user giving an obfuscated address?
Is it not possible for you to contact the user using this address? Does the user have to manually allow getting mail to this address or somehow jump through some hoops to read it?
That's up to the user to decide. For me trustworthy = something like Basecamp, Amazon, etc, not some random small app.
> trustworthy = [...] Amazon
Good point, because your example includes one of the few companies I don't trust at all.
There is a big contradiction in there...
Everything experimental is by definition untrustworthy.
One is true obfuscation - "hide my email". That would be a poor choice for use with any app you hope to have an ongoing relationship with, I'd think.
The other is just the use of iCloud email addresses, detailed in the post, which seemed like a very good and concerning point. It's also much less likely to be a problem with FB or Google login.
And I would literally blow up at Apple, if they forced this on TripIt... Sharing trip information is done using registered email. And iCloud email is crap.
If they tied it instead to what people’s normal mail was, a lot of issues would be averted.
It seems like this entire complaint would be solved if Apple prioritized "obfsucated email works for our paying users" (i.e. deliver mail to an address they select) over "create a strong incentive to use our email service if they want to get their precious emails".
I use obfuscated emails all the time, everywhere, by default. But I selected what email address they forward to when I set it up. How does an app maker get the blame for Apple not doing this?
Edit: Now, the app relying on un-obfuscated email addresses for finding contacts I have less sympathy for. There are many other good options for this, and they should work with obfuscated email address IMO. Seems like everyplace I use has no trouble with usernames...
