Live data from Hacker News

Firefox Offers Recommendations with Latest Test Pilot Experiment: Advance

blog.mozilla.org

21–30 of 101 posts

Re: Firefox Offers Recommendations with Latest Test Pilot Experiment: Advance

#21
I don't get how this relates to Mozilla's mission, I especially don't understand how technologies that are core to their mission (open communication with Thunderbird, open identity with Persona) are left abandoned. I'm not offended by the extension, I'm more befuddled why they're wasting their time and money on something very few people want. My friends/social network are going to suggest cool stuff to read, not some startup's bot reading by browsing history.

Mozilla's mission is the reason people use Firefox. Chrome (and siblings) are better supported by developers and have significantly better performance. Mozilla's marketshare will continue to dwindle if they continue to invest their time in projects like this.

Re: Firefox Offers Recommendations with Latest Test Pilot Experiment: Advance

#23

When I started reading the article I thought this was an enhancement to Pocket and that somehow, external data (context from other sites) downloaded periodically combined with local browser history, would help the extension to provide options on where to go next. But later I understood that the browser history is sent to a machine learning startup called Laserlike: “At Mozilla, we believe browser history is sensitive…

"We have also included controls so that participants can pause the experiment, see what browser history Laserlike has about them, or request deletion of that information.”

Where the hell are these controls? Since I installed this thing before reading that it'd send my data to some party, like an idiot, I'd like to request deletion of the data now, but I can't for the life of me find any sort of interface for it. What the fuck, Mozilla?

Re: Firefox Offers Recommendations with Latest Test Pilot Experiment: Advance

#24

When I started reading the article I thought this was an enhancement to Pocket and that somehow, external data (context from other sites) downloaded periodically combined with local browser history, would help the extension to provide options on where to go next. But later I understood that the browser history is sent to a machine learning startup called Laserlike: “At Mozilla, we believe browser history is sensitive…

"We have also included controls so that participants can pause the experiment, see what browser history Laserlike has about them, or request deletion of that information.” Where the hell are these controls? Since I installed this thing before reading that it'd send my data to some party, like an idiot, I'd like to request deletion of the data now, but I can't for the life of me find any sort of interface for it. What…

So this is a violation of GDPR as well ?

Re: Firefox Offers Recommendations with Latest Test Pilot Experiment: Advance

#25

When I started reading the article I thought this was an enhancement to Pocket and that somehow, external data (context from other sites) downloaded periodically combined with local browser history, would help the extension to provide options on where to go next. But later I understood that the browser history is sent to a machine learning startup called Laserlike: “At Mozilla, we believe browser history is sensitive…

"We have also included controls so that participants can pause the experiment, see what browser history Laserlike has about them, or request deletion of that information.” Where the hell are these controls? Since I installed this thing before reading that it'd send my data to some party, like an idiot, I'd like to request deletion of the data now, but I can't for the life of me find any sort of interface for it. What…

I found it in about 20 seconds. Right next to "Powered by Laserlike" there's a settings gear, and at the bottom of the dropdown is a link to "Account Settings". In there, you can delete your browsing history and 'other data'.

Re: Firefox Offers Recommendations with Latest Test Pilot Experiment: Advance

#26
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Now, tell me how to disable that again? You can disable it in about:config.

extensions.pocket.enabled => FALSE is what you're talking about, right? Why the hell is a bloody plugin compiled in with a browser?! I should be able to click "delete" on the plugin screen and purge this trashheap from my system. I shouldn't have to use "hope and prayer" that a plugin isn't used. Instead, I have to go traipsing in about:config. It's not even in preferences, or plugins, or wherever.

It's not a plugin, it's a browser feature, like bookmarks and the web inspector.

Re: Firefox Offers Recommendations with Latest Test Pilot Experiment: Advance

#27
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"We have also included controls so that participants can pause the experiment, see what browser history Laserlike has about them, or request deletion of that information.” Where the hell are these controls? Since I installed this thing before reading that it'd send my data to some party, like an idiot, I'd like to request deletion of the data now, but I can't for the life of me find any sort of interface for it. What…

I found it in about 20 seconds. Right next to "Powered by Laserlike" there's a settings gear, and at the bottom of the dropdown is a link to "Account Settings". In there, you can delete your browsing history and 'other data'.

Ah, thanks. Clicking that settings gear doesn't do anything in my browser, I'm afraid. It just looks like a static image, not a menu or an interactable element.

Re: Firefox Offers Recommendations with Latest Test Pilot Experiment: Advance

#28
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I found it in about 20 seconds. Right next to "Powered by Laserlike" there's a settings gear, and at the bottom of the dropdown is a link to "Account Settings". In there, you can delete your browsing history and 'other data'.

Ah, thanks. Clicking that settings gear doesn't do anything in my browser, I'm afraid. It just looks like a static image, not a menu or an interactable element.

It seems to expand on mouseover so there's a number of things that could probably interfere with that.

Re: Firefox Offers Recommendations with Latest Test Pilot Experiment: Advance

#29
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"We have also included controls so that participants can pause the experiment, see what browser history Laserlike has about them, or request deletion of that information.” Where the hell are these controls? Since I installed this thing before reading that it'd send my data to some party, like an idiot, I'd like to request deletion of the data now, but I can't for the life of me find any sort of interface for it. What…

So this is a violation of GDPR as well ?

How come everything is a GDPR violation to you?

https://imgur.com/a/PGKovg2

Post reply on HN