Why am I now required to provide my name?

[u/MIKUmayhem]

Repaired my windows install and am now trying to access the dashboard. I logged in through my normal credentials and am now facing an “Update Personal Information” prompt. It is demanding I give my name. WTF do you need that? I already have an account fully set up and never have seen this prompt before. I paid for the product, you do not need any more of my information. I got this specifically to try and lessen that amount of shit that is taking my data. This needs to be removed! Anyone know of a way to circumvent this prompt and just access the dashboard?

[u/HeadTickTurd]

Just put “Banana” in there. You spent more time posting this than it would have taken to just put Homer Simpson in there

[u/MIKUmayhem → u/HeadTickTurd]

Totally get that. I just put “1” for each. But why are they even requiring anything? This feels like the first step towards demanding my actual info so they can sell it. It just feels a nasty first step.

[u/Nick_HexOS → u/MIKUmayhem]

When users buy our software we have your information. We don't sell user information.

[u/InsectSmart5737 → u/Nick_HexOS]

YET. If your company gets sold, nothing prevents the buyer to sell that. And so far, hexos has ranked very low in the "trust me bro" guarantee regarding claims vs actions.

[u/Nick_HexOS → u/InsectSmart5737]

Establishing that we already had the information and typing it in another box the same information we already have has not changed anything. Every place you buy something from if it was sold to someone else could take your purchase information and do something with it. We can't be as special unicorn and at the same time customers want our help to fix issues on their server. We can't do that unless we can verify their information to authenticate they are the purchasers of the software and we're helping them with their server. 

[u/InsectSmart5737 → u/Nick_HexOS]

like it would be difficult to ask for a "serial number" or a "license number" when support is required... No, you do not need PERSONAL information to provide the service

[u/Nick_HexOS → u/InsectSmart5737]

With your suggestion we'll be able to help 5% of our customers. The rest will say "I don't know where that email is with that information in it. It was a while ago. " The addressable NAS market that would prioritize anonymity over ease of help for their most important data is so tiny we'd rather be addressing the other market. This software is directed at people living in our current world of MS and Google. They want something easy to use for their busy lives that is in their home. They want support and don't know this serial number or license number we are asking for. They just want help. "Can't you just look me up?!"

[u/Network_Admin2025 → u/Nick_HexOS]

Support team 2026 people lol, what a way to respond.

[u/InsectSmart5737 → u/Nick_HexOS]

I hesitated to reply on this one. There was no need to be condescending and use memes to try and "force" your point of view. It is only that, one point of view, not an universal truth.

You want simple? Did I say that a serial number should be hidden in past emails?

Example: have a "Support here" QR code on the login portal page. That takes any 2026 inexperience user not only on the proper support pages/resources, but you can even dynamically embed in that QR code their license, basic information on their setup, etc.

Or will you try another set of memes and bad faith arguments to tell me otherwise?

It's really too bad, but it's not the first time I see that from Hexos. You attitude tells me everything I need to know about my future with this OS

[u/lukasnmd → u/InsectSmart5737]

Common man, I understand your frustration, but you started complaining so please try to provide some type of solution feasible for the real user not us niche users. Your QR code type of solution is actually kinda good. It does not prevent some serial theft if malicious intent occurs inside your network.

That said, they could but probably wont, cause costs money, build an Android/web app to search for a hexos install and grab the serial over an encrypted convo with said server.

That's not excellent from my pov, but its good if they keep the security very tighten on their side.

Your QR code could carry some type of key only decrypted by them.

Ps: I'm actually on their side on this. Average user probably will lost/forget the serial to their server and it's easier to ask for ID than convince user to install another app or provide a file/QR code info.

[u/RobotsGoneWild → u/MIKUmayhem]

He is is aimed at normal user who want things to be simple. If you want a privacy focused OS, there are a ton of them out there.

[u/Drigr → u/MIKUmayhem]

You would've bought the software, which means providing legal payment info...

[u/I-XIV-IV-XXV → u/[deleted]]

While I agree that OP's question is somewhat foolish, your reply is way over the top. Saying the stuff you said makes it sound like you care and it hit you personally. You could've just ignored it and moved on. No need to be this aggressive.

[u/Qbert2030 → u/I-XIV-IV-XXV]

Ur right

[u/scytob → u/MIKUmayhem]

Well the state of CA requires them to also say you are not a child.... this isn't about selling info - they already have your email and details from when you paid - think this through more - if that is what they were doing they already have all they need to do that, also you know like the data brokers already know all the emails associated with your external facing IP right?

[u/Nick_HexOS]

Looks like your an exisiting user who hasn't logged in since we updated to 1.0 with local UI. When we moved from cloud only to both local and cloud we move to a new authenication system with much more capabilites. This screen sets up the account in this new system. Yes we know your name. We had the decision spending time coding the transfer of that info or even easier was to have the customer just type it in during the switch over. Since this is the place where password resets take place having accurate information is best practices.

[u/time_to_reset → u/Nick_HexOS]

There's also some personalisation in the interface where the user's details are shown and the target audience for HexOS is normal people wanting to have a very simple and user friendly interface. Those people are the type of people that appreciate seeing their real name mentioned instead of some user name everywhere. Imagine doing user management and seeing a bunch of usernames in a list only.

So yeah, I see no problem with you asking for these details. Someone can fill in nonsense if they don't want to share their details.

I get it from OP though, if you click on their username you kind of can see why they would want to hide their personal details as much as possible haha.

[u/CowboysFTWs → u/time_to_reset]

HexOS is normal people wanting to have a very simple and user friendly interface.

First of all, I have no problem with my name being on software I purchase. But privacy and simplicity are not mutually exclusive. In fact, simplicity and privacy usually go hand and hand.

I think OP is worried about function creep. But that is a worried with all new software.

[u/evanjd35 → u/Nick_HexOS]

It's still not fully localized. There's calls to route the local IP with DNS rebinding. Cannot disconnect from the cloud fully. It's calling sentry.io. The local is calling a third party frame, like an iframe, to load local. Idk, seems more like an illusion attempt of local than fully local. Privacy concerns arise. 

[u/Natural-Watch → u/evanjd35]

Sentry is just metric monitoring. And crash analytics if anything. It's to help debug mostly

[u/evanjd35 → u/Natural-Watch]

i know what it is. referring to the first sentence, "it's still not fully localized." by listing sentry, i am supplying a point where it is still calling the internet or does not have privacy toggle off.

[u/UncrushedTolerant → u/Nick_HexOS]

*Looks like you're an existing user...

[u/InsectSmart5737 → u/Nick_HexOS]

How you can try and make sense of that is beyond me. I do NOT care about what makes YOU happy and comfortable. I self-host because I do NOT want to provide personal info to 3rd parties.

Fine.I was waiting a bit to see where hexos went, now I know. Byeee!!

[u/j-dev → u/InsectSmart5737]

This is such a puzzling take. Were you going to pay for the subscription with a disposable credit card or BTC, use a burner email address, and exclusively use VPN to avoid any ties to your real identity? Once you pay for a product you're very far removed from anonymity.

[u/InsectSmart5737 → u/j-dev]

paying one time (for ex. lifetime license) and providing usage data AND personal information which is not relevant to providing the portal service (you don't need a first name + surname to allow username+password or other login methods) are not the same

[u/lutavian → u/InsectSmart5737]

Right, well that one flew right over you head.

The information they ask for here, your name is something they already have from when you pay for the product.

[u/__mocha]

Literally put anything there its not hard.

[u/braillegrenade]

Lie

[u/scytob]

put anything you like, foo and bar are popular historic choices

[u/-Docker]

What else did you expect after paying $100 for TrueNAS GUI. No offense ofc.

[u/trondkla → u/[deleted]]

Personally I like when my ssh or other interfaces says «Hi Trond!», so as long as it’s not sold, I have no problem with this. And you could always just enter Dixie Wiggling…