[BeetleB]

> The whole point of OpenClaw is to run AI actions with your own private data, your own Gmail, your own WhatsApp, etc. There's no point in using OpenClaw with that much restriction on it.

Every submission I've seen on HN involving OpenClaw will have a comment with this sentiment. "What's the point if you don't give it access to your data ... And if you do, it's a security nightmare ... hence OpenClaw is evil"

It's a quick way to spot the person who's never spent any real time with OpenClaw.

I always used to give use cases that don't have you give it much (if any) of your data. Examples on how you can give it only a tiny amount of data (many HN users give more just in their HN profile).

But I tire of countering folks who clearly have not even tried it.

(And I'm not even that pro-OpenClaw. I was using it, then a bug on my system prevented me from using it - a week without OpenClaw and so far no withdrawal symptoms).

[jdgoesmarching]

Agreed, “if it can’t do everything it’s useless” is dumb on face value. I’m sorry if people don’t have more imaginative uses than checking their email, but I’ve gotten so much utility out of Openclaw without ever hooking it up to my email or a calendar.

It’s especially ridiculous responding to a blog about isolating these capabilities rather than dropping them. Those are basic security boundaries more than “restrictions.”