IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Backblaze has stopped backing up OneDrive and Dropbox folders and maybe others

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

6 Prevalent Themes in the Discussion

Theme Supporting Quote
1️⃣ Backblaze silently excludes important folders (e.g., .git and cloud‑synced data). > “The fact that they’d exclude ‘.git’ and other things without being transparent about it is scandalous.” – benguild
2️⃣ Lack of clear communication about backup‑policy changes erodes trust. > “Complete lack of communication (outside of release notes, which nobody really reads) is incompetence and indeed worrying.” – patates
3️⃣ Restores can silently fail, leaving users unaware that data is missing. > “I tried restoring a file and it failed; the service offered only three months of credit.” – klausa
4️⃣ Consumer‑grade GUI tools limit control; power users prefer deterministic backup software. > “I use Restic, the cloud service doesn't know about what I send; it’s just encrypted blobs.” – palata
5️⃣ “Unlimited” marketing hides real limits; the business model is inherently risky. > “‘Unlimited’ marketing is a red flag; they use asterisks to hide limits.” – embedding‑shape
6️⃣ Users are migrating to cheaper, self‑hosted alternatives (Hetzner, B2, rclone, Borg, etc.). > “I run restic with rclone against Hetzner Storage Box; it’s cheap and works.” – mrighele

These six threads capture the core concerns: exclusion policies, opaque communication, unreliable restores, tooling preferences, marketing vs. reality, and viable alternatives.

🚀 Project Ideas

[Backup Exclusion Manager]

Summary

  • Automatically discovers and documents any folder or file type that a backup client silently excludes.
  • Provides a visual checklist and change‑log so users can see exactly what will not be backed up.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Power users, sysadmins, and backup‑savvy HN readers who want full visibility into what gets omitted.
Core Feature Real‑time exclusion monitor, diff against previous configuration, alert on new exclusions, exportable report.
Tech Stack Python backend, React frontend, provider APIs (Backblaze, Dropbox, OneDrive, Restic/Borg).
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: SaaS subscription $5/mo

Notes- Directly answers the HN complaint about “silent exclusions” and lack of documentation.

  • Could integrate as a Windows Service / macOS LaunchDaemon to run in the background.
  • Exporting reports would let users prove to providers that a particular file type (e.g., .git) is being backed up, satisfying trust concerns.

[Backup Health Guardian]

Summary

  • Continuously validates backup integrity by performing lightweight test restores and checksum verification.
  • Sends proactive alerts when files are missing, corrupted, or when retention policies change.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Anyone who relies on “forever” backup plans (Backblaze, cloud sync services).
Core Feature Scheduled restore simulations, per‑file hash checks, email/SMS/webhook notifications, audit logs.
Tech Stack Node.js, SQLite for state, cron scheduling, Twilio for notifications, provider SDKs.
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: $8/mo per user (tiered pricing).

Notes

  • HN users repeatedly cite lost data and lack of restoration testing; this tool would eliminate that risk. - Could integrate with existing backup clients via their APIs to trigger restores without affecting production data.
  • Offering a free “basic health check” could drive adoption among hobbyists while the paid tier serves power users.

[Secure Cross‑Platform Backup Orchestrator (SCOBO)]

Summary

  • Unified, encrypted backup UI that works with restic, borg, and rclone across Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Handles key rotation, retention policies, and cloud storage targets with zero‑configuration wizards.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Developers, tech‑savvy individuals, and non‑technical users who want strong encryption without learning CLI flags.
Core Feature One‑click backup plan creation, automatic client‑side encryption, retention schedule UI, multi‑cloud upload (B2, S3, Wasabi).
Tech Stack Electron (React/TypeScript), restic/borg binaries, libsodium for crypto, SQLite for metadata.
Difficulty High
Monetization Revenue-ready: $7/mo tiered subscription (basic, pro, enterprise).

Notes

  • Directly addresses HN’s desire for a “basic status‑reporting widget” that still gives full control over what is backed up.
  • Users can set per‑repo encryption keys and rotate them without losing access, solving lock‑in concerns.
  • Open‑source core with optional hosted relay for easy cloud integration could attract the backup‑community crowd.

[Retention Assurance Service]

Summary- Guarantees that “unlimited” or “forever” backup plans actually retain data for the promised duration.

  • Provides immutable server‑side snapshots and audit trails to detect silent deletions.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Consumers and small businesses that pay for indefinite retention (e.g., Backblaze Personal).
Core Feature Immutable object storage snapshots, change‑log verification, alerts on unexpected deletions, API for status checks.
Tech Stack Go microservices, S3‑compatible storage with object lock, PostgreSQL audit DB, web UI.
Difficulty High
Monetization Revenue-ready: $15/mo flat fee per account.

Notes

  • HN users are frustrated by lost history despite paying for “forever” – this service would enforce true durability.
  • Could be offered as an add‑on to existing backup providers (e.g., Backblaze B2) via a simple plugin.
  • Transparent audit logs would let users verify that their data truly persists, rebuilding trust.

[Placeholder‑Aware Smart Backup]

Summary

  • Backup agent that intelligently backs up only real file contents, ignoring placeholder/-on‑demand files from cloud sync services.
  • Prevents wasted bandwidth and storage churn while ensuring actual data is preserved.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Users with OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive folders that employ “ Files On‑Demand ” or “ Placeholder ” behavior.
Core Feature Detects placeholder files via OS APIs, skips them unless explicitly marked, uses VSS / FUSE snapshots for consistency, incremental uploads via rclone.
Tech Stack Rust, rclone library, Windows VSS, macOS FSEvents, Linux inotify + libarchive.
Difficulty Medium‑High
Monetization Revenue-ready: $4/mo per user (or per‑TB pricing).

Notes

  • Solves the bandwidth‑throttling and restore‑failure complaints from the HN thread regarding OneDrive/.git exclusions.
  • Can be packaged as a background service that works with existing cloud sync clients without requiring changes to them.
  • Offering a “force‑include” toggle would let advanced users back up placeholders when they choose.

[Backup Transparency Dashboard]

Summary

  • Web‑based dashboard that visualizes exactly what data a backup provider has actually stored, including exclusions, version counts, and test‑restore results.
  • Enables users to audit provider behavior without deep technical knowledge.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Backup SaaS customers, auditors, and power users who want full visibility into their backup provider’s operations.
Core Feature Query language for exclusion logs, storage usage graphs, automated restore‑test status, exportable audit reports.
Tech Stack React frontend, GraphQL API, PostgreSQL backend, provider SDK connectors (Backblaze, B2, S3).
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Hobby (open‑source core, optional paid support contracts).

Notes

  • Directly mirrors HN’s request for “show a red status bar that says these folders will not be backed up anymore.”
  • Could integrate with provider APIs to automatically flag surprises (e.g., sudden .git exclusions).
  • Offering hosted instances for small providers could become a niche SaaS with low churn.

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