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Comment by bountie | Hacker News Reader

I guess you aren't looking for app critique but my thought is that most web users see "Facebook" and "compromising photo" as part of the app requirements and no matter what your privacy policy or mechanisms you have, most average users will not go for this

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I disagree. This is the thing that gives this app "teeth". It makes it controversial and keeps it in people's thoughts after they've read the blurb on lifehacker. It's interesting enough to make someone mention it at the pub during a "new years resolutions" conversation etc etc etc. Maybe it doesn't appeal to everyone and would put alot of people off, but at the same time that exact thing is what makes it interesting.

Exactly how I feel! Glad to see there are some mad people like me ;o)

Thank you very much for your input. And I'm always looking for app feedback! :) I think you point out a real obstacle to wider user adoption, but I believe in the concept (and I think it needs some 'lack of privacy' for it to work).

Furthermore, I reckon we sell fun, rather than productivity.

This is something I would personally use but won't simply because there's no way to stop it. It seems like a bad idea to just add a 'cancel' button but I'm not willing enough to post a goal without a lot of detail about the process, how the votes determine if a photo gets posted to Facebook or not, etc. Let's say I made a goal to exercise 3 times a week for the next 3 months and then broke my leg a week in. Boom, picture released. I also wonder how many people would vote that you didn't complete a goal when knowing they would be rewarded with a compromising picture (if familiar with the app). A picture needs to be bad enough to motivate. I don't have a solution for you unfortunately, but hopefully this helps you see the thought process of a potential user who won't try it and help you from another perspective.

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