Milestone: Database
With the finalization of the database format finally a milestone has been reached. This is so important, because the database is at the heart of the superior privacy capabilities of Collect. Let me explain how it works in general and why it is so unique.
Usually similar tools either are connected to a service that is hosted by the company providing it, or all data is saved locally. The later one usually has limitations when it comes to syncing or accessing the same file from multiple devices. The service instead solves that problem for you on the server side but usually without protecting your privacy. That means this company has full access to your data. Additionally, if this service is broken or going down your data is lost.
Collect instead is doing it differently. The data is indeed stored locally in a file structure that can be placed on any hard disk, network storage or service like Dropbox or iCloud Drive. To protect your privacy this data can be encrypted before being saved. The data can be accessed from multiple devices at the same time without corrupting the data.
That sounds easy first but comes with many implications for each platform and service. Therefore, it is a huge milestone to have it working on all major operation systems and having implementations in different programming languages and environments.