Warmshowers now charging.....everyone!

[HobbesOnTour]

I received the following email from Warmshowers this morning.

Hello Warmshowers community!

Please take a moment to read this important notice regarding our new mobile app.

We recently discovered that an older, unauthorized mobile app was recently re-released without our consent. Security is our highest priority so rest assured that your personal information is secure.

However, if you have downloaded and used this FREE unauthorized app, it is accessing source code that we cannot guarantee will protect your data and your information could be passed to a third party without our knowledge. Please uninstall this app immediately (the text in the unauthorized app states that the app is not official and is created by volunteers).

While our team is working on this situation around the clock, we have temporarily suspended ALL mobile app access until the situation is resolved. During this time, please use our website to log in and access your account. We apologize for the inconvenience and will notify you here and on our social media channels when the issue has been resolved.

We appreciate your patience

[staehpj1]

They could be genuinely worried about your data or could be worried about forcing folks to use their for pay app.  I suspect the latter.

[HobbesOnTour]

A quick bit of investigating and it appears that the "old" app (still on my phone) is now the "unofficial" one.

My app was last updated on January 21. Where does that leave my personal data?

I have contacted WS directly, but it is beyond my comprehension that an official app can be "hijacked" by people unknown (although probably well meaning folks).

Given the nature of the service (connecting strangers) it raises a multitude of questions.

[LouMelini]

Continued issues with WarmShowers. Very disappointing news for a service that can be valuable to traveling cyclists. I will continue to host as I have, be a guest when I need to and follow the developments.

[jamawani]

From 2012 to 2015, I was on the Board of Directors of Warmshowers.

Hey Lou -

Thanks for the work you did.
The incident I mentioned was probably in the summer of 2009 -
since the frat hazings took place in the 2008/09 school year.
I actually received a blistering response from Warmshowers' big honcho.
I had hosted a number of times but had never stayed with a host
because I tend to ride in the middle of nowhere.
But I dropped out immediately afterwards.

I continue to be on CouchSurfing.
I've had many lovely guests and am still in touch with some.
I have an alcohol-free house which has caused problems once.
I don't understand why some people push matters when it is clearly stated.
That is the nature of online hook-ups at its least dangerous.
Unfortunately, there is the potential for far greater danger.
I am sorry that the WarmShowers founder did not understand this.

[Ty0604]

I was excited when the Warmshowers app came out but bummed when I learned it wasn't free. I don't use it enough to justify paying for it. Perhaps on an upcoming tour I would download it and cancel the subscription after the tour.

I was really active on WarmShowers when I lived in Portland. We were close to a few routes and had several request a year. I haven't had a single one since I moved to metro Denver 3+ years ago.

I also used the app a lot on my first cross country ride but only once while riding Route 66 and once while riding from New Orleans to Charleston, mostly to take shelter from Hurricane Sally. A majority of the users I messaged didn't respond.

I tend to use WarmShowers more for information than looking for places to stay. Local cyclist seem to know the roads a lot better than anyone else.

@staehpj1 mentioned Tallahassee, which was a deadzone for us in September. We had a hotel for 2 nights but after arriving and seeing the crime going on at the hotel, we messaged a few host looking for information. No one replied and we stayed at another hotel near the FSU campus. It was last minute so I understand.

[canalligators]

As time goes on, I find myself less and less enamored with having a dedicated app for everything.  It takes up space on my lower-capacity iPad, and buys me little improvement.  The apps wind up swapping in and out, taking time.  And for the WS app, I can't imagine it adding enough improvement to warrant a subscription cost.  Furthermore, I mostly use it at home on my desktop, as I host more often than I am a guest.

And... IMO, mouse beats touch screen for 95% of uses.