The mail with the backup .xml is a neat feature, but I’d rather not receive them. They have an unsubscribe link but these mails keep coming.
On the other hand I use the manual backup feature. A minor annoyance is that it is just named “NewsBlur” compared to the mail backup filename which features the date and a proper file extension.
I get that this is a request that nobody else cares about, but is it really necessary to send me backup emails when I only delete an empty folder? Should not be checked if at least a couple of feeds have been removed as well?
IMO NewsBlur should never send an OPML by email. The list of sites I subscribe to is private information, and email is not at all secure.
NewsBlur could instead send me an email with a link that is only usable when I’m logged in.
Not sure I agree with the idea of not having the OPML file as an attachment. You can use the recover account feature which emails you a link that lets you log on to your account without a password, which is essentially the same thing. Not having the file in your email account means that if NewsBlur were to ever go under for whatever reason, you wouldn’t have a good backup.
Getting the OPML file via a password recovery would require an active attacker. Getting it directly from your email could in many cases only require a passive attack. So it’s not quite the same thing. Worth having an opt-out for people who want that.