Data at risk: Slack warns of deletion following price increase
In a surprising turn of events, the non-profit organisation Hack Club, which has been using Slack for nearly 11 years, has been faced with a sudden increase in payment demands from the chat provider. The organisation, which previously paid $5,000 annually for Slack's services, was abruptly asked to pay between $195,000 and $200,000 per year.
This sudden demand caused chaos for Hack Club, forcing volunteers and employees to quickly reset integrations and migrate data, significantly disrupting ongoing programs. The situation has gone viral on platforms like Hacker News and social media, with many expressing their concern and support for Hack Club.
Mahad Kalam, an employee of Hack Club, wrote an open letter stating that Salesforce (Slack's parent company) is exerting 'massive pressure' on a youth non-profit organisation. He expressed that at least a few months' transition time would have been expected with such a price increase.
However, the co-founder of Hack Club explained in a later post on Hacker News that Slack has restored the previous conditions and even improved them, allowing the youth community to stay. This reversal comes after public criticism and the intervention of Slack's CEO, Denise Dresser, who reached out to Hack Club following the controversy.
Mahad Kalam reported that Slack's CEO offered an improved plan, but he did not provide details about the new plan. In light of this, Hack Club is considering switching to Mattermost, an open-source Slack alternative, due to the price increase and the added benefit of more data control.
Slack has faced public criticism over sudden price increases in the past. Notably, the Kubernetes team faced a similar situation with a sudden price increase from Slack and considered switching to Discord. However, Slack ultimately backed down and kept the special conditions for Kubernetes, preventing them from switching.
This incident highlights the importance of fair pricing for non-profit organisations and the power of public pressure in corporate decision-making. Hack Club's resilience and the support they have received from the tech community serve as a reminder of the impact that grassroots organisations can have in shaping the digital landscape.
