Homebrew now sends usage information to Google Analytics

Post by whateveracct » Mon, Apr 25, 2016, 9:12 PM UTC

bitmapbrother wrote: post #55

Touche wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Disagree. Google Analytics is a network of companies that has agreed to privately collection information about users without their permission or even knowledge. It is malware that should not be included in Homebrew. The only ethical decision we can make as developers is not to use it.

I'm always amused by the way some people try to extend the definition of malware beyond its scope. This isn't malware. It's just anonymous usage tracking. If you don't like it you can turn it off. I hope you don't use a smartphone because the amount of intrinsic "malware" you must be subjected to must be unbearable. "Malware" is an umbrella term used to refer to a variety of forms of hostile or intrusive software, in…

Post by yborg » Mon, Apr 25, 2016, 9:15 PM UTC

LeoPanthera wrote: post #52

toomuchtodo wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"oconnore" is a perfectly valid unique identifier on HackerNews that doesn't tie to anything about you if you don't have your email address in your profile. This is no different.

The difference is, it's a choice to post on a public website. homebrew is a package management tool, there is no expectation that it will send information about you to Google.

Post by mortenlarsen » Mon, Apr 25, 2016, 9:16 PM UTC

bitmapbrother wrote: post #55

Touche wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Disagree. Google Analytics is a network of companies that has agreed to privately collection information about users without their permission or even knowledge. It is malware that should not be included in Homebrew. The only ethical decision we can make as developers is not to use it.

I'm always amused by the way some people try to extend the definition of malware beyond its scope. This isn't malware. It's just anonymous usage tracking. If you don't like it you can turn it off. I hope you don't use a smartphone because the amount of intrinsic "malware" you must be subjected to must be unbearable. "Malware" is an umbrella term used to refer to a variety of forms of hostile or intrusive software, in…

    Malware
    -------
    - Any software that actively attempts to do any of the following:
	- Do harm to the system, applications or data
	- Deliberately weakens system security
	    - By changing system or user security settings
	    - Contains or installs backdoors
	    - Downloads updates as executables
	    - Use executables to wrap otherwise readable data
	    - Expects higher or more privileges than is needed by it's function.
	- Circumvent the wishes or intention of the user
	    - Makes it self the default application for file-types that already have an application assigned to them
	    - Inserts itself into other applications against the users expectation (eg. as a plugin)
	    - Uses the privileges of other applications to circumvent system policy
	- Hide its activity from inspection
	    - Anti-debugging, and other rootkit like behaviour
	- Use "dark patterns" to trick the user into performing or agreeing to some action
	    - Installs toolbars, etc.
	- Compromise the privacy of the user
	    - Phones home, access data irrelevant to it's function
	- Resists removal

Post by hk__2 » Mon, Apr 25, 2016, 9:16 PM UTC

LeoPanthera wrote: post #50

0x0 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You may also want to "rm ~/.homebrew_analytics_user_uuid"

You could really screw with their statistics by regularly changing the contents of that file.

Post by creshal » Mon, Apr 25, 2016, 9:17 PM UTC

dogecoinbase wrote: post #82

estel wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For Homebrew: > The Google Analytics anonymous IP setting is enabled i.e. 1 ( https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection... )

It's worth noting that AIP's functionality requires you to trust Google -- the data is received by them, but their design specifies that they mask it before it's processed or stored.