There are downsides with downloading their app just to input bad data, but it’s a fun thought.

edit: While we’re at it we might as well offer an alternative app to people.

I posted in !opensource@programming.dev to collect recommendations for better apps

The post: https://lemmy.ca/post/32877620

Leading Recommendation from the comments

The leading recommendation seems to be Drip (bloodyhealth.gitlab.io)

Summarizing what people shared:

  • accessible: it is on F-droid, Google Play, & iOS App Store
  • does not allow any third-party tracking
  • the project got support from “PrototypeFund & Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Superrr Lab and Mozilla”
  • Listed features:
    • “Your data, your choice: Everything you enter stays on your device”
    • “Not another cute, pink app: drip is designed with gender inclusivity in mind.”
    • “Your body is not a black box: drip is transparent in its calculations and encourages you to think for yourself.”
    • “Track what you like: Just your period, or detect your fertility using the symptothermal method.”

Their Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@dripapp

  • MacEnglish
    25·
    2 days ago

    This is the scummiest app I’ve ever downloaded.

    • Hadriscus@lemm.eeEnglish
      17·
      2 days ago

      Can you elaborate? my wife uses it, I told her about Drip and other opensource alternatives but I don’t know where “scummiest” comes from

      • MacEnglish
        15·
        2 days ago

        Well, it depends on what you want out of it and, to be fair, i am not a period-haver.

        That being said there is so, so much tracking it is doing to give you data and recommendations. While getting started it felt positively gross the amount fo personal questions it was asking. Why is all that necessary? Again, it depends if you want whatever information it is giving you.

        But, even on top of that, wasn’t it proven that the app was selling data to interested parties to be used for nedarious reasons? That’s why we’re even doing this whole men-should-sign-up-to-feed-it-bullshit-and-ruin-the-data in the first place.
        Even though, as another user said: it likely wouldnt actually do anything.

        • Whats_your_reasoning@lemmy.worldEnglish
          91·
          1 day ago

          While getting started it felt positively gross the amount fo personal questions it was asking. Why is all that necessary?

          Hi. Occasional period haver here. With all due respect, it’s possible that since the context is the menstrual cycle, questions that seem irrelevant to you (as a not-period-haver) might actually be important for the typical end user (period-havers.) Things like age, weight, diet, activity level, and more can all play a role in how someone’s period affects them. But I have no plans to download this, or any other tracker app, so I can’t independently determine the extent to which that’s the case.

          Could anyone who signed up provide some specific question examples?

          • MacEnglish
            11·
            15 hours ago

            You really think that i think medical questions and questions about your sexual activity are irrelevant?

            No, but i think people shouldn’t be giving that data away. I even clarified that i think it’s gross but it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth it.

        • Hadriscus@lemm.eeEnglish
          5·
          2 days ago

          If we go by the wikipedia page, no, apparently they never did sell data to third parties, although there were allegations at some point. But perhaps wikipedia isn’t the most reliable on this particular subject or is out of date

        • zephorah@lemm.eeEnglish
          2·
          1 day ago

          Things you would f consider can affect menstrual cycles. Malnutrition. Thyroid issues. The body is one giant interaction effect.