[5701652400]

so if API is published, there is nothing to reverse engineer.

and if API is not published, and you MITM with self-compromised CAs, and then use it (commercially?) you ~100% breaking ToS.

this is just un-ethical. or YC does not have regard anymore for such things?

[alexblackwell_]

Noticed you have two comments here. I think my response to your other comment best answers this (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47798259). Definitely open to discussing this more here. Not sure if I agree on the self-compromised CA bit. MITM proxies have been used for 20+ years for debugging. In fact, I use Kampala to debug our personal APIs/web app all of the time.

[5701652400]

you are directly accessing intentionally unpublished (internal) API with purpose of directly "reverse-engineer", meaning reproduce. ~100% of ToS say clearly "do not do this" . and also say "Copyright". but that does not matter to you, does it?

what kind of moral gray areas you are walking in? how is this not clear?

theft and crime was for thousands of years. and the fact that there were horrific multi-million legal cases. this is why we have curts and legal system and ToS and Copyright laws. so people who break the law (or contracts like ToS protected by law) get reprecautions. FAFO.

[ImPostingOnHN]

Some people may believe in equal measure that intentionally trying to break interoperability is unethical. Especially if it's my data.

[5701652400]

show me one ToS for any major service that has "interoperability" in their clauses.

"interoperability" is never the case in the agreements.

it is very stupid decision from business perspective. and unless legally required (like in agriculture or something, "right to repair"), no sane business will provide this to their customers.

[ImPostingOnHN]

> show me one ToS for any major service that has "interoperability" in their clauses... no sane business will provide this to their customers.

I will concede your observation that often businesses act unethically if it means they get more money.

But, ethics doesn't mean "obey the ToS", it means structure the ToS such that the ToS itself is ethical. In my opinion (which is equal in value to yours), banning interoperability in a ToS is even less ethical than violating such an unethical ToS.

For a clue as to why that is, ask why "right to repair" exists as a concept. What are the ethical principles underlying "right to repair"? After all: like you say, companies could make more money by forbidding it in their ToS (and have).

[jasonlotito]

> this is just un-ethical.

There is nothing unethical about this. You can technically do this with a browser and its dev tools.

You being here is far more unethical than this app.

[5701652400]

> You being here is far more unethical than this app.

how am I being far more un-ethical again?

did I develop an AI tool to massively assit people breaking ToS and Copyright? (which is legaly punishable)

[5701652400]

and what is more daming this is official YC startup. this is pretty much YC sposoring illegal activities now. or what is more likely, quality of YC leadership and execution is in shambles.

[rrr_oh_man]

> anymore

Ehh…

[5701652400]

true. HN and YC is getting worse over years.