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Brew commands send data to Google Analytics

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Re: Brew commands send data to Google Analytics

#211

Post by Nursie »

pvinis wrote: post #19

Yes we know. brew tells you that. And you can disable it. Data is being sent to Google everytime you do almost anything in almost all websites, using the same technology. So what? Some of the times it's to make the product better, or better targeted. Some other times it's just for spying on the users. Let's stop complaining about stuff that someone does and tell you they do it. There are many more that do the same th…

Opt Out is scammy.

Command line tools do not usually do this at all, particularly FOSS command line tools. This is a very worrying development and reduces my trust in FOSS.

--edit-- to whoever downvoted me, can you explain why?

I love FOSS but I also lovemy privacy. I have come to generally have a default level of trust for popular FOSS projects. Things like this make me question that trust. Why is this wrong?

Re: Brew commands send data to Google Analytics

#212

Post by mrob »

raesene6 wrote: post #126
mikemcquaid wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We do tell you before transmitting any data (as shown in the original comment).

I think the, valid, concern mentioned in the original comment is that the notification of this is not prominent enough. Also Ideally I'd suggest you should be looking for informed consent before starting to gather information of this nature where an application previously did not do it. Something similar to Debian's request to submit data for the package popularity ratings that is provided when you install debian mig…

Debian's popularity contest package gets it right. You're asked once during installation, with the default being to decline. If you keep choosing "next" without reading or thinking you get a working installation with your privacy intact, and it never bothers you again.

Re: Brew commands send data to Google Analytics

#213

Post by lorenzfx »

CJefferson wrote: post #175
hueving wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please make it opt in. If you truly believe people closely read the prompts for having their data harvested, a default to "No" should not impact you at all. If you don't believe they read the prompts closely, you're an asshole for stealing data by default.

Is it "stealing data" to record that certain options in my program are never used, or used frequently, or whenever a user clicks on options A,B and C in sequence the app crashes? My problem is that I believe that 90% of the users of my app won't care one way or the other if I record these stats. If I default opt-out these people, then I lose all that useful data and in the process, I believe, make my app worse for ev…

How about choosing no default, and instead ask the user on first run? `Do you want to send usage data to the developer? (yes/no)`

Re: Brew commands send data to Google Analytics

#215

Post by Nursie »

CJefferson wrote: post #175
hueving wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please make it opt in. If you truly believe people closely read the prompts for having their data harvested, a default to "No" should not impact you at all. If you don't believe they read the prompts closely, you're an asshole for stealing data by default.

Is it "stealing data" to record that certain options in my program are never used, or used frequently, or whenever a user clicks on options A,B and C in sequence the app crashes? My problem is that I believe that 90% of the users of my app won't care one way or the other if I record these stats. If I default opt-out these people, then I lose all that useful data and in the process, I believe, make my app worse for ev…

Your belief may not match the real world. You can only know that by actually asking them.

Look at the outcry when Microsoft put this stuff in Win 10.

At the very least you should present a question on install. Hiding a notice amongst licenses and other information, as often happens, is underhanded and scammy.

Re: Brew commands send data to Google Analytics

#216

Post by jacobush »

junke wrote: post #93
tomfluff wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Organ donation?

In France, you are a donor by default if you don't opt-out. In 2018, relatives won't be able to oppose organ donation in case of uncertainty.

Then it's their social contract in their democracy.

Re: Brew commands send data to Google Analytics

#217

Post by hoers »

karmacoda wrote: post #187
emartinelli wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In another comment in this thread by @mikemcquaid (Homebrew lead maintainer): > (...)and have been trying to find people who will provide us with non-Google hosting but: we're chronically understaffed and underfunded[1] [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13035438

What are the estimated costs for (something like) this?

For a basic setup like Piwik (open source analytics) on a VPS it shouldn't be more than $5 - $30 / month.

Re: Brew commands send data to Google Analytics

#218

Post by Nursie »

The point here is that, like that Ubuntu search we all hated, this is not behaviour we expect from well behaved FOSS application, notice or otherwise.

Google collect obscene amounts of info on everything from government interactions to software preferences. So far it's largely been confined to the web and could be blocked by using an ad or tracker blocker.

Now that software may or may not do this stuff too... it ups the game and the threat.

This will make me less likely to use Brew. Likely no great loss to the team I'm sure.

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