Contacts

Manage privacy-safe labels for people and companies you reference in your accomplishments using olllo’s @-mention system.

What are Contacts?

Contacts are privacy-safe labels that let you reference people and companies in your accomplishments without storing identifiable information.

Instead of writing:

❌ "Worked with Jane Doe from Acme Corp"

You use contacts:

✅ "Worked with @DirectManager from @MainClient"

How It Works

1. You create a label: Choose a meaningful name like @DirectManager
2. You provide the real name: Stored separately, encrypted with AES-256-GCM
3. You use the label: Only the label appears in your accomplishments
4. You own your data: Real names are encrypted and only you have access

Creating Contacts

1. Go to Contacts page
2. Click Create Contact
3. Enter a Label: Alphanumeric only, no spaces
   • ✅ Valid: DirectManager, designer1, MainClient
   • ❌ Invalid: Direct Manager, Manager!, Person1
4. Enter the Real Name: The actual person or company name
5. Click Create

Label Format Requirements

Allowed Characters

Labels must be alphanumeric (letters and numbers):

✅ Valid Labels:
- @DirectManager
- @seniorEngineer
- @productLead2
- @MainClient
- @designer1
 
❌ Invalid Labels (automatically filtered):
- @Direct-Manager (hyphens removed → @DirectManager)
- @Senior Engineer (spaces removed → @SeniorEngineer)
- @Product Lead! (special chars removed → @ProductLead)

Label Best Practices

Create labels you’ll remember:

✅ Good Labels (self-explanatory):
- @DirectManager
- @SkipLevelManager
- @SeniorEngineer
- @ProductLead
- @UXDesigner
- @MainClient
- @PartnerCompany
 
❌ Vague Labels (hard to remember):
- @Manager1
- @Person2
- @Client
- @Colleague

Tip: Use descriptive labels that indicate the relationship or role.

Using @-Mentions

In Accomplishments

When typing an accomplishment:

1. Type @ to trigger the dropdown
2. See all your existing contacts
3. Select one or create a new label
4. The label is inserted automatically

Keyboard shortcuts:

• ↑ ↓ Navigate options
• Enter Select highlighted contact
• Esc Close dropdown

Search and Filter

Type to filter contacts as you type:

Type: "@dir"
Shows: @DirectManager, @director1
 
Type: "@client"
Shows: @MainClient, @ClientTeam

Managing Contacts

Editing Contacts

To update a contact:

1. Find the contact in your list
2. Click the Edit icon
3. Update the Alias or Real Name fields
4. Click Update Contact

Deleting Contacts

olllo protects you from breaking your accomplishments:

If the contact is used:

• You’ll see a warning with affected accomplishments count
• Example: “This contact is used in 5 accomplishments”
• Deleting will make those @-mentions “orphaned”

If the contact is unused:

• You can delete immediately
• No accomplishments will be affected

Orphaned mentions: @-mentions that reference deleted contacts are still visible but no longer map to a real name.

Privacy & Encryption

How Real Names Are Protected

When you create a contact:

1. Client-side encryption: Real name is encrypted in your browser using AES-256-GCM
2. Encrypted storage: Only the encrypted value is sent to the server
3. Decryption on demand: Real names are decrypted only when you view/edit contacts
4. Server cannot read: olllo’s server never has access to unencrypted real names

Encryption Details

• Algorithm: AES-256-GCM (industry standard)
• Key storage: Encryption key is stored in environment variables (never in code)
• Key access: Only your account has access to decrypt your contacts
• Export safety: Exported accomplishments use labels, not real names

Why This Matters

Your professional accomplishments are portable and safe:

You can export accomplishments and share them:
- In job applications (PII-free text)
- With career coaches (no privacy concerns)
- On LinkedIn (no sensitive information)
- In portfolios (privacy-safe achievements)

The real names stay with you, encrypted and secure.

Best Practices

Keep It Simple

Don’t over-complicate:

❌ Too many contacts:
- @Manager1, @Manager2, @Manager3
- @Engineer1, @Engineer2, @Engineer3
 
✅ Meaningful grouping:
- @DirectManager, @SkipLevel
- @SeniorEngineer, @TechLead

Aim for: 10-20 frequently used contacts for most people.

Ready to create your first contact? Start building your privacy-safe @-mention system.