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VSCodium – An Open Source Visual Studio Code Without Trackers

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Re: VSCodium – An Open Source Visual Studio Code Without Trackers

#131

Post by nurettin »

prepend wrote: post #128
chipperyman573 wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't it? When I opened VS Code on a new computer for the first time today, a message popped up with step by step instructions to opt out

Tracking should always be opt-in, not opt-out. I base this on expected user preference and trying to optimize for user happiness and functionality. I don’t think this is as true for non-OSS software where the purpose is likely more toward revenue generation than community and user functionality.

What is the crucial difference between a popup saying "would you like to opt in?" and popup saying "would you like to opt out?"

Re: VSCodium – An Open Source Visual Studio Code Without Trackers

#132

Post by jsgo »

jameskraus wrote: post #7

I suspect the tracking in VSCode is mainly used to improve the product. It's probably in my best interest, and the interest of the community as a whole to leave tracking on. I mean, I get it, HN is usually a more skeptical and security-focused crowd. At the same time, it's likely MS will just take that information and tailor their bugfixes and features to the things I need most, so by all means I want them to have it…

I completely agree and I’m in the same boat (I’ll continue to use VS Code).

That being said, it’s somewhat amazing we are now in a time when a Microsoft product could have aspects users don’t approve of and rebuild it without it: everyone wins.

Re: VSCodium – An Open Source Visual Studio Code Without Trackers

#133

Post by nitrogen »

asutekku wrote: post #51
nitrogen wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The lack of detailed usage monitoring resulted in more useful software that didn't cater to the lowest common denominator. Telemetry lets you shed all the baggage of supporting the minority.

That’s a bold claim. If the tool is made more useful for majority of the people using it is necessarily not a bad thing.

The Americans with Disabilities Act, which can be used to sue developers of inaccessible websites, has made it clear that in some cases serving the majority can be a bad thing.

Less severely, there's an awful lot of long tail business productivity served by obscure software features that is very difficult to satisfy with modern hyper-engagement-optimized tools.

Re: VSCodium – An Open Source Visual Studio Code Without Trackers

#134

Post by _emacsomancer_ »

nurettin wrote: post #131
prepend wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tracking should always be opt-in, not opt-out. I base this on expected user preference and trying to optimize for user happiness and functionality. I don’t think this is as true for non-OSS software where the purpose is likely more toward revenue generation than community and user functionality.

What is the crucial difference between a popup saying "would you like to opt in?" and popup saying "would you like to opt out?"

User perception of a default state.

Re: VSCodium – An Open Source Visual Studio Code Without Trackers

#135

Post by xyproto »

wongarsu wrote: post #67
false-mirror wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1. One less setting to configure, lest the Default monsters gets you 2. VSCodium is just a FLOSS VSCode binary. You could build it yourself from the available VSCode source. However, the VSCode binary is not FLOSS so you cannot be sure what it is running. It's not like VS code is the next PRISM-- I'm sure MS has better ways to spy on users ;). The real pull is whether you prefer FLOSS by default.

> However, the VSCode binary is not FLOSS so you cannot be sure what it is running. That's equally true of the VSCodium binary. It's not a reproducible build, I have no way of knowing from which source code the binary was generated. Of course I could build from source, but VSCodium is just VSCode built from source with a build flag set. So in this regard it's not contributing anything notable (and doesn't claim so ei…

Why is it not possible to build VSCodium in a reproducible way? Does it download packages while building?

Re: VSCodium – An Open Source Visual Studio Code Without Trackers

#136

Post by jplayer01 »

jakear wrote: post #38
kburman wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm ok with until its get used to improve the editor. It would much better if they can share the data they are collecting.

You can view a real time log of all telemetry events in-editor. Or do you mean you’d like them to share with you all he telemetry from all their users?

Well, why not? A bunch of people here are more than happy to defend Microsofts tracking. If telemetry really isn't a big deal, make all that data public. It's our data anyway, collected from how we use their software.

Re: VSCodium – An Open Source Visual Studio Code Without Trackers

#137

Post by jsgo »

prepend wrote: post #128
chipperyman573 wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't it? When I opened VS Code on a new computer for the first time today, a message popped up with step by step instructions to opt out

Tracking should always be opt-in, not opt-out. I base this on expected user preference and trying to optimize for user happiness and functionality. I don’t think this is as true for non-OSS software where the purpose is likely more toward revenue generation than community and user functionality.

In theory, it kind of is: as far as I’m aware, which I haven’t delved deeply into it so grain of salt time, but it doesn’t send data until you make that decision. And it isn’t like you have to dig for it: it’s presented to you explicitly. Yeah, it asks if you wish to opt out of “making the product better” or whatever the verbiage, but I don’t think it is going to confuse many. Especially within the target user demographic.

Re: VSCodium – An Open Source Visual Studio Code Without Trackers

#138

Post by TimTheTinker »

sitkack wrote: post #71
asdfasgasdgasdg wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The fallacy is to assume, without evidence, that the slope is slippery. There are plenty of slopes that aren't. Probably most, just you don't think about those because you know they aren't slippery already. For example, I slept in 'til 8:30 today. OMG, a slippery slope. Next thing you know, I'll be sleeping until 3PM. Til midnight! I will never wake up again. But as it happens, sleeping in isn't a slippery slope. I d…

This is exactly why I get up a minute earlier each day. As it is, I am waking up tomorrow at 4:39 AM. Mission accomplished.

(10 years into one possible future)

“... and that was me before we had children.”

Re: VSCodium – An Open Source Visual Studio Code Without Trackers

#139

Post by ComodoHacker »

nurettin wrote: post #131
prepend wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tracking should always be opt-in, not opt-out. I base this on expected user preference and trying to optimize for user happiness and functionality. I don’t think this is as true for non-OSS software where the purpose is likely more toward revenue generation than community and user functionality.

What is the crucial difference between a popup saying "would you like to opt in?" and popup saying "would you like to opt out?"

Opt-in telemetry likely won't serve it's purpose.

Very few users change the defaults. To the point where you don't get enough data for useful insights.

Re: VSCodium – An Open Source Visual Studio Code Without Trackers

#140

Post by zabil »

jameskraus wrote: post #7

I suspect the tracking in VSCode is mainly used to improve the product. It's probably in my best interest, and the interest of the community as a whole to leave tracking on. I mean, I get it, HN is usually a more skeptical and security-focused crowd. At the same time, it's likely MS will just take that information and tailor their bugfixes and features to the things I need most, so by all means I want them to have it…

I agree. As someone who builds product (with opt in tracking) understanding users is key to building a good product.
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