Scout

Short Version/Summary:

I created Scout because I wanted a simpler, voluntary, and non-invasive way to add transparency between people trying to be accountable to each other online. When researching existing tools in this space, I saw that :

• They all were very expensive (10-20$ a month), highly invasive, held onto sensitive data

• Most were built around humiliation, shame, or fear rather than communication (many were classified as "shameware")

• They were all heavy-duty software applications that required systems level permissions, and tracked far more info than most people would be comfortable sharing with an accountability partner.

Basically, they seemed like overkill for the needs of many people in this space, so I wanted to build an accountability tool that:

• Doesn’t store screenshots or browsing history

• Only monitors sites or keywords the user chooses to add

• Sends alerts directly to a trusted partner’s inbox without dashboards and stored logs

• Is lightweight, transparent, and built on user consent instead of shame or embarrassment

• Is far cheaper than any other alternative (only $2/month)

I think that using the right tools can help increase the chances of success over the long term when trying to stay accountable, and that accountability should be about communication between people who trust each other, not a software-enforced shame system. Hopefully this tool can help somebody, and provide a cheaper, more lightweight alternative for anyone looking for a better way to add transparency to their relationships.

Brett Mariani

Scout- Online Accountability

Hello Everyone!

Today I’m excited to share Scout – Online Accountability, a lightweight and flexible alternative to traditional accountability software.

Scout is an extension that allows users to add specific websites and keywords to a monitoring list. When detected in the user's URL, Scout automatically sends a screenshot of the website (along with the URL, page title, and timestamp) directly to the inbox of an accountability partner set up by the user.

There’s no dashboard to manage, no external apps, and no stored history. Everything happens directly within the browser, and the screenshots go straight from the user's screen to the partner's email.

Most tools in the accountability space are built around shame or "gotcha" moments, and are designed to control people by tracking every last thing they do online. Scout is designed to be a communication tool, not a control system.

How it works:

Anyone can use scout, but only registered emails can receive alerts. For example, when a person registers an email, that means their spouse, all of their kids, and anyone in their extended family can use the software by entering that persons email into the accountability partner section. Each user can have their own list, and alerts from each user come with their name in the email title. To register an email it only costs $2.

With Scout:
• A parent can receive an email notification when their child logs in to do homework
• A person can be notified when bills were paid by their spouse or roommate, so nothing slips through the cracks
• When kids agree to screen time limits, parents can verify if they were respected or not

Scout’s monitoring can be turned on and off intentionally. So if YouTube or other sites are off limits after 9pm, a child can enable monitoring at that time each night.

It’s designed to be:
• Private
• Lowest cost available
• Simple (just add a registered email and a website/keyword list)
• Shareable (a registered email can be used by multiple people, on multiple different browsers at the same time)

Scout's goal isn’t to shame or spy on every last thing a person does online, but to hopefully be used to support healthy habits, communication, and transparency, unlike other options that strip away privacy in the hope to expose or incriminate a person.

While Scout can monitor every site a user visits by entering “www.” or “.com” into the monitored list, this is always the user’s choice. Users retain full control over enabling, disabling, or changing Scout’s settings at any time. When settings are changed, the accountability partner receives an email showing both the previous and current monitored lists, as well as notifications when monitoring is enabled or disabled. Accountability only works when it’s voluntary — Scout is built around that principle.

For most people, they don't need a nuclear option when they want accountability, and Scout hopes to serve these people in an inexpensive, lightweight, and flexible way. If you’re trying to build better habits or add an extra layer of transparency to your relationships, Scout can help.

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Scout has official builds for Chrome and Firefox, and the Chrome build is compatible with most Chromium-based browsers, such as Microsoft Edge, Brave, Opera, Arc, and Vivaldi, which allow installation of extensions from the Chrome Web Store. Coming soon to Safari.

Firefox: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/scout-online-accountability/
Chrome: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/scout-online-accountabili/anckckjbkmlkicbhemkljgjdeplaeddk?hl=en&authuser=1

Thanks for taking the time to check out Scout! I put a lot of time into making it, so hopefully it can help somebody. If you made it this far, I appreciate it. Let me know if you have any questions.

Brett Mariani

Scout