Privacy matters
Browser extensions take a privileged place in your workflow and I feel that you should know, what my tools do, what data is shared with me and what to expect when using the extension.
Therefore, I would like to invite you to read the Privacy Policy, which was written to help you understand all these questions. It was written by me, not a lawyer, in terms, which I felt would be easy to understand. While the Privacy Policy is the go to document, please read on for a few points that I think are going to be helpful.
If you'd like - check the code
I have nothing to hide and if you want to know what Open Access Helper does, check the code yourself. This is the very best way for you to be certain that the app does, what I say it does. You find the macOS Version here and the iOS Version here. The code might not be elegant, but it works. Even if you don’t understand the code, I hope that making it accessible is one of those “good signs” that you will appreciate none the less.
[Note: I haven’t gotten around to publishing the new Open Access Helper Web code]
Adjust the settings
Except for the core function, which utilizes the unpaywall.org API, pretty much everything the app does can be customized.
Please check out the Settings section of both the iOS and macOS app and enable / disable the settings as you see appropriate. Contact me, if you have questions or would like to seek guidance. Having this many settings might feel overwhelming, but it does ensure the app does what you want it to do.
I promise that...
- …I will respect your right to privacy and carefully consider a new feature an its privacy implication
- …Open Access Helper will only be active when there is a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) on the page, or when you use the context menu for Highlight & Search
- …will only take the action(s) you have enabled in the settings of the app
