A new service called Twply launched on Tuesday that aims to send all replies on Twitter to directly to your email inbox. All you need is your Twitter credentials and an email to send the notifications to and you’re set to go. At first blush, that’s a problem for users who get a lot of replies – their inboxes will be hammered with notifications. For people who don’t check Twitter very often, it’s a more viable alternative.
Since launch, there’s been a bit of controversy swirling around Twply. Here are the top three complaints…
- Twply asks if you want to support it on your first login, but doesn’t mention how. As it turns out, it sends a message on your behalf that looks something similar to this:
- There’s currently no way to opt out of notifications
- The service has already been sold just days after launch for $1200, which makes users question the service as a whole
One thing Twply does is ask you for you password – something it shouldn’t need to do. If it wants to send a tweet on your behalf, it should say so and send you to the Twitter web interface so you can preview the message before it’s sent. Unless your updates are protected, there’s no reason your password is needed to find replies – it can all be done through Twitter Search.
So, if you do decide to use the service, be warned that the service you’re signing up for has controversy around it, much like Twitterank. @twply is assuring users that the service and your credentials are safe. As always, we recommend you exercise caution when giving out your Twitter password.
