Don't forget your massage, redux

September 15, 2008 3:07 AM

So, I may have found a solution to this issue, but I'd like some input from those of you with greater insight into internet security & privacy issues.

I had a few hours to spare on Thursday, due to a no-show appointment and I found myself looking at online scheduling applications. I managed to find one that is both free and works for Australians, so I've been noodling around with it a bit and while it's not perfect, it seems quite usable.

The site is www.clickbook.net

I'm curious as to how they fund this application and make a living.

More important, is it secure? Can I trust the developer to be not evil and to be good enough at securing their data?

Their FAQ contains a lot of silly typos, which makes one wonder about their general sloppiness, and is also a concern as my calendar on their site represents my business.

They are getting a list of my clients names, mobile phone numbers (maybe landlines) and email addresses, no mailing addresses, DOB or credit card info or anything else. How would you feel about this as a client?
Benefit to client: seeing my schedule & booking when it is convenient, reminders via email and/or SMS so they don't miss their appointment and make me sad and I charge them for the time they missed.
Benefit to me: clients can see my schedule online, so can see that I am not answering the phone because I am with a client (my receptionist only works limited hours each day). If I am unable to answer the phone, someone could book themselves into the next available slot. Auto email/SMS reminders a day or so in advance that include a disclaimer that missed appts may be charged a fee, thus making them responsible for not showing up and making me feel unguilty(yes, I just made that up) when I tell them they need to pay me for the missed session.

I want a seamless solution to scheduling & reminders, and I want me & my clients to feel secure that all data is safe & secure

Is www.clickbook.net it, or do I run away?

posted by goshling to Computers & Internet (2 answers total)

They say that they're "totally secure." This is so unlikely to be true that, as their only obvious statement on the matter of security, it indicates that they don't expect their audience to contain anyone with much interest in the subject. If you really care about the safety and privacy of your data, look elsewhere.
posted by spasm at 4:54 AM on September 15, 2008

Hi Spasm,

You can find details about ClickBook security measures here:

http://www.clickbook.net/dev/site.nsf/SecurityInfo

In addition, our servers are hosted in a commercial grade large-scale datacentre that houses far more important clients than ClickBook: http://www.netLogistics.com.au

Ultimately the question of data security is an interesting and sometimes philosophical one. A well known brand will be more easily trusted however what goes on, on the insides, no one will ever know, regardless of stated security measures.

Ultimately, a trusting relationship is crucial in any transaction that contains assumptions about the competence and integrity of parties involved and we see this as crucial to building a trusted brand.

At ClickBook, our philosophy is one of openness and we will work hard to address security concerns. We are still a very small operation highly focused on delivering the great efficiencies that are the subject of the original post, but thanks to growing support we can afford resources to fixup the FAQs!!! And will :)

Yours Sincerely,
Mark Demicoli,
ClickBook T eam
posted by ClickBook at 8:42 PM on September 16, 2008