Over the past few weeks, we’ve observed the remarkable rise of the “Piictu Fans.” This international group, coordinated from a Facebook page, are building a casual, unofficial space for Piictu users to talk about the app and their experiences in it. Inspired, we met the creators last week at Piictu Happy Hour and discussed the hopes they have for the group.
Last night we had an wonderful time hosting our second Piictu Happy Hour. Building on the success of our first event, PHH: The Sequel introduced us to even more incredible members of the Piictu community. It was great to learn how they use the app everyday, and to discover concrete ways we can make it better!
We met ajpanda, a talented fashion photographer in the city, and diana88, who finds some of the most adorable puppies you will ever see. We spoke with uwlibby and kara_aurori who helped us understand the importance of moderating certain content on Piictu, and giving users more privacy features.
We also learned about an exciting new photo app made nearby. Major Manhattan iPhoneographer Stephen Thorpey introduced us to “Lightbomber” - a long exposure/lightpainting app that we had demoed for us by the app creator herself!
As the event took off, we caught up with River and Martin.Fling who recently captured their cross-country move in inspiring Piictu fashion. The creators of the Unofficial Piictu Fan Page also showed up, and captured some of the most memorable images of the evening for their page. Definitely check them out!
It was an extraordinary evening, reminding us (and the unexpecting patrons of Solas) what a wonderful community we have at Piictu. Please join us in the future, and let us know if you want to host a Piictu Happy Hour yourself!
In the past few weeks, there’s been a lot of concern about how iPhone apps take and store user data. This concern has risen to the highest levels of American government with Congress recently asking 34 companies (including yours truly) to detail formal approaches to user data. We want to share some of our answers with you - because we are steadfast in our commitment to asking before we take, and taking only things you want us to have.
:: Did you have a privacy policy in place for your iOS app at the end of February 2012? ::
Yes, our Privacy Policy was available on our website before the app even launched on Apple’s App Store. Our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use are available to all our users through our website at http://www.piictu.com/privacy and http://www. piictu.com/tos repectively.
:: Has your iOS app at any time transmitted information from or about a user’s address book? If so, which fields? Also, please describe all measures taken to protect or secure that information during transmission and the periods of time during which those measures were in effect. ::
In old versions of the app, users would be able to mention Address Book contacts as a way to invite them to the app. The only information being passed were email addresses of the contacts being invited. This was done through an SSL connection, and at no time were the addresses shared with third parties. Also, at no time were those emails address stored in our system.
Since version 1.3.1, the app asks users for permission before accessing their Address Book. If the user agrees, only email addresses from the user’s Address Book are sent, and the same security measures as before are taken.
:: Have you at any time stored information from or about a user’s address book? ::
No.
:: To the extent you transmit or store any address book information or any of the information, please describe all notices delivered to users on the mobile device screen about your collection and use practices both prior to and after February 8, 2012 ::
After February 8th, 2012 we started asking users for access to their address book during the initial signup flow. The text displayed says “In order to find your friends, we need to send address book information to Piictu’s servers using a secure connection” and users have the options to accept or decline.
[Note] So that’s where Piictu stands on user data & privacy. We are committed to protecting your data and ensuring that things you do share with us are never stored. To follow up with any further questions or concerns, please email jason@piictu.com - he’s always up for talking security with you!
Enchanting iPhoneographer Tori Church finds the supernatural in everyday subjects like flowers or dogs at home. Many of her photos feature a soft color palette suggesting the nostalgia of old family albums. Others, such as her signature stream Creative Portraits just ask us to make the ordinary extraordinary. Inspired, we reached out to @toriliz to learn about her approach to Piictu & iPhoneography.
Over the past few months, we’ve brought Piictu to Spanish and German, introducing us to thousands of new users and their perspectives. Now we’re hoping to add several more languages, growing the Piictu community and the people we help speak through photos!
Which is where we need the help of the Piictu community. If you are bilingual (or tri-lingual or even multi-lingual!) Piictu user who would like to help us translate the app’s basic language, we want to hear from you! Send an email to jason@piictu.com and tell us what language you’d like to work on.
It’s not a huge task (probably 2 -3 hours overall) and we’d love to send you some Piictu swag to show our gratitude. Plus, it’s a wonderful experience to brag about at your next job interview. And when Piictu is famous in India, Japan, France, Kenya, or Brazil, we will know who to thank!
Photo from @martina_diblasi
