---
title: "Needy Programs"
url: https://daily.dev/posts/needy-programs-3ykpe6eyw
source_url: https://tonsky.me/blog/needy-programs/
type: article
source: "tonsky.me"
published: 2025-11-13T20:31:35.770Z
updated: 2026-03-15T03:33:40.981Z
tags: ["devtools", "general-programming", "privacy", "product-management", "ux"]
reading_time: 5
upvotes: 39
comments: 4
language: en
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Needy Programs

**[tonsky.me](https://daily.dev/sources/tonsky)** · 5 min read · 39 upvotes · 4 comments

## Summary

Modern software has shifted from serving users to demanding attention and data from them. Applications increasingly require accounts, push constant updates, send unwanted notifications, and force onboarding flows—none of which users actually need. Traditional tools like command-line utilities and programs like Syncthing demonstrate that software can function effectively without these intrusive patterns. The author advocates for returning to user-centric design where programs remain quiet tools that serve their purpose without demanding ongoing engagement or personal information.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://tonsky.me/blog/needy-programs/>

## Community discussion

Top comments from developers on daily.dev.

**@harryphung** · 6 upvotes

> Interesting read, but I think the core argument misses some important technical realities.
>
> If you build something that’s purely local, then sure — no account is needed. But the moment you’re dealing with modern web functionality like:
>
> * cross-device usage
> * payments or subscriptions
> * data backup/restore
> * persistent sessions across browsers
> * syncing between machines
> * multi-device security
> * access control and device revocation
> * support or billing history
>
> …you inevitably need a stable identifier for the user.
>
> You can call that identifier whatever you want — an account, a keypair, a...

**@theacademe** · 4 upvotes

> Preach!

**@arptha** · 1 upvotes

> your website needs jesus

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---

Tags: [#devtools](https://daily.dev/tags/devtools), [#general-programming](https://daily.dev/tags/general-programming), [#privacy](https://daily.dev/tags/privacy), [#product-management](https://daily.dev/tags/product-management), [#ux](https://daily.dev/tags/ux)

[View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/needy-programs-3ykpe6eyw)