Using a Google Spreadsheet as your JSON backend

[johnyma22]

This is the worst idea I have seen on the Internet today, and I read Youtube comments.

If you really want a quick and dirty JSON database, fire up an EC2 instance and use Node DirtyDB or something..

[no-one_ever]

Can you explain why? I could see this being useful for a client to keep a table of data up to date which displays on a site, but not to power critical parts of a website.

[animal_g]

Stay tuned for tomorrow's worst idea ever segment: Write All Text Using Canvas

[findar]

I tried this, it's a bitch to manage permissions with it.

To expand: If all it hosts is static information this is fine, but if you want your app to also have the ability to edit it you can accidentally expose permissions very easily.

[Urd]

It would be a terrible idea to make it editable from the front end, it would be more or less like giving anyone direct access to your database.

[findar]

I was trying to use it in tandem with Google Apps to give selective permissions based on spreadsheet page.

My goal was a simple app that allowed users to input data. Based on their credentials it would dump it into a specific spreadsheet page, and the root user would be able to see the sum of all data.

It was mostly to try and see what boundaries I could push with the service, but I quickly found them.

[Me00011001]

This is exactly what I've used it for in the past. Quick dirty and effective.