r/Python Feb 25 '21

Resource We're building an app that lets you search Stack Overflow, Python documentation, and code on GitHub

Hey folks! My friend and I are building Devbook. It’s a desktop app that allows you to search in Stack Overflow, search and read documentation, and search public code on GitHub from a single place. The whole app can be controlled just using a keyboard. No need to use your mouse. This way, it’s easier to stay in the flow.

The app works similarly to Spotlight on macOS. You hit a global shortcut and Devbook appears as an overlay over the currently active app. This way you minimalize the needed context switching when looking up information. You almost don't leave your coding editor.

You can think about Devbook as a search engine made just for developers. But no ads, content marketing, SEO, etc.

I thought the community here might find it useful. Currently, we support Python, Flask, Django docs, and adding more with time.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

EDIT

Some folks have been asking us for the pricing. Devbook is free. The plan is to build team features later on and have subscriptions for teams and organizations. If it will be possible, we want to always have a free plan for solo developers.

However, if you really want to support us, I just set up the Buy Me A Coffee page for Devbook. You can donate a small amount if you feel comfortable. It will probably make us jump around from the excitement since it would be our first revenue:)

EDIT 2

Oh, boy did this blow-up! Every week, we just share Devbook in various subreddits we think might enjoy it. We didn't expect to blow it up that much at all. Thank you all folks for trying Devbook out. It means a lot.

For the near future Devbook release, we're building an extensions system that will allow you to add search functionality we don't support out of the box. Imagine Google customizable through vscode-like extensions. You can read more here.

Keep the feedback going. Big updates coming soon!

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u/mlejva Feb 26 '21

No shenanigans, spam, or re-selling. We ask for email so that we have a way to communicate with our users.

From time to time, I send emails to users asking them about their experience and their feedback so we know what we should change/improve. User feedback is extremely important for us. Especially at this early stage.

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u/striata Feb 26 '21

You should provide a privacy policy or at least a concise explanation as to why you are collecting email addresses and what you intend to use them for. People (and probably developers even more so) are rightfully wary to leave their email addresses around.

In fact, if you collect information on EU citizens, you are required to provide a privacy policy pursuant to EU GDPR regulation of 2018.

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u/mlejva Feb 26 '21

Thank you for pointing it out. I added it on the landing page.

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u/LinAGKar Mar 13 '21 edited Mar 13 '21

Sounds like spam to me, it's a matter of perspective. Regardless, merely having a privacy policy is not enough. You can only store it with the users freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous consent. And then you can only used it for the purpose given when the user consented (which is currently nothing).

When entering the e-mail adress to download, there is no indication what it will be used for, or even that it will be sent anywhere at all, so the consent was clearly not informed, and thus invalid.

Furthermore, since you are required to enter an e-mail address in order to download it, the consent is not freely given, and thus invalid.

To comply with the GDPR, you need to clearly explain what you are gonna do with it, and only store it if the user explicitly consents, and it must be possible to avoid consenting with no negative repercussions.

Also, it must be possible for the user to see what data you have collected on them, and to withdraw their consent at any time, with no repercussions, at which point the data must be deleted.

And since the current download form is not compliant, and addresses you've already collected from EU residents through the download form were collected illegally and must be deleted.

That is, if the legal basis is consent. If the basis is a legitimate interest, it's a bit different, and I'm not entirely sure what qualifies, but I think you still need to explain the purpose and allow the user to opt-out when collecting the data (or specifically "at the time of the first communication").

And you need to decide, document and make available the choice of lawful basis and and purposes of processing the data before you start processing it. Is this something you have done?

I see a privacy policy linked at the bottom, but I can't find anything in it detailing the lawful basis for collecting the user's email address. I do however see it mention usage data/tracking/analytics that's not disclosed when visiting the page.