Client Background
The Markup is a non-profit newsroom investigating issues at the intersection of technology and society. They commissioned OHOS Media to enhance their flagship privacy inspection tool, Blacklight, to better serve their mission of holding Big Tech accountable and educating the public about online privacy.
Project Objectives
- Optimize Blacklight's architecture for improved performance and reliability
- Enhance existing features and add new capabilities to the tool
- Modernize integrations and align with industry best practices
- Improve scalability to handle increased user demand
- Create comprehensive documentation to facilitate external integrations
Development Process
Performance Optimization
- Conducted thorough analysis of existing system to identify bottlenecks
- Implemented optimizations to reduce high timeout rates and latency issues
- Refactored code for improved efficiency and reliability
Feature Enhancement
- Developed targeted URL scanning capabilities
- Implemented an API key system for secure access
- Redesigned response structures for better data representation
Cloud Migration
- Leveraged AWS Lambda for serverless computing to improve scalability
- Utilized AWS S3 for efficient data storage and retrieval
- Implemented cloud-based architecture to handle increased load seamlessly
Documentation and API Design
- Created comprehensive API references to encourage external integrations
- Developed clear, user-friendly documentation for developers and end-users
- Designed RESTful API endpoints for easy integration with other services
Technical Writing
- Authored a technical article detailing the process of identifying and resolving a critical bug in Blacklight
- Created user guides and FAQs to improve tool accessibility for non-technical users
Challenges and Solutions
A significant challenge was balancing the need for detailed privacy analysis with performance requirements. We implemented parallel processing techniques and optimized our scanning algorithms to reduce analysis time without compromising the depth of the privacy inspection.
Results and Impact
The enhanced Blacklight tool has seen a significant increase in usage and reliability. It has become a go-to resource for journalists, researchers, and privacy advocates investigating online tracking practices. The improvements have enabled The Markup to conduct larger-scale investigations and provide more comprehensive reports on internet privacy issues.
Key Achievements
- Reduced system timeout rates by 40% and decreased average latency by 50%
- Implemented new features including targeted URL scans and an API key system
- Successfully migrated the system to AWS, resulting in 99.9% uptime
- Created comprehensive API documentation, leading to a 30% increase in external integrations
- Published a widely-read technical article on bug identification and resolution in privacy tools
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