Depends if is it on by default but the project is open about it or if it's "hidden".
I usually try to avoid the later.
Ask HN: Will you use software that has telemetry on by default?
11–20 of 25 posts
Re: Ask HN: Will you use software that has telemetry on by default?
#12Not if I have any choice in the matter - and more often than not, I do.
Re: Ask HN: Will you use software that has telemetry on by default?
#13The answer for me is a hard no, but I'm curious what others think. The justification often used is that it's the only way to "make the product better". That's not been my experience as either a developer or user. My favorite tools are opinionated and created by people with a desire to solve a problem and good UX skills (think git, vim...). My least favorite tools are corporate software that was obviously built and de…
You also don't use anything in the Google ecosystem, or Facebook, or any online apps? Those all have telemetry..
I use them but I would count them as some of the worst products I'm forced to interact with.
Re: Ask HN: Will you use software that has telemetry on by default?
#14Don't care as long as it doesn't affect core functionality (like requires internet connection to use for something that should work offline).
The benefit of a product that is paid for by personal data is immediate and real to me - I use this product and get benefit about it.
The risk of said personal data being used against me is currently hypothetical. So far, I haven't experienced any drawbacks.
For anything that is privacy sensitive, I use a dedicated privacy oriented software.
Re: Ask HN: Will you use software that has telemetry on by default?
#15If the software isn't critical, then no. Making telemetry opt-out is making a statement about the attitude of the producers that makes me very uncomfortable.
If the software is critical, then yes. And I'll opt out. And I'll keep scouting around for a suitable replacement.
Re: Ask HN: Will you use software that has telemetry on by default?
#16It's possible I've let myself develop too negative a knee jerk reaction to the idea of telemetry. Sometimes I've lost a feature I use in a product that I'd turned off the telemetry for, and the developers cited low usage of that feature. Did I shoot myself in the foot?
I figure that if the devs are making decisions about what features to keep or drop based mostly on telemetry signals, that alone is enough reason to avoid using the software.
Re: Ask HN: Will you use software that has telemetry on by default?
#17Yes, because I don't care about telemetry. I have telemetry in the products our company makes because it's a useful tool to see where customers are stuck. At the end of the day, those customers pay for our salaries so we'll do whatever we can to make them happy.
Re: Ask HN: Will you use software that has telemetry on by default?
#18As long as it’s used to improve the product what’s wrong with that?
Are product people supposed to chant and perform esoteric rituals to gain telekinetic insight into how the product is being used?
Re: Ask HN: Will you use software that has telemetry on by default?
#19Preferably, only if it is FOSS and I can disable the telemetry before starting the program for the first time. Especially for local software. If the software requires the internet anyways, it is only acceptable if it is only for internet related functions and only if it connects to the servers that I will specify (e.g. if it is a NNTP client, to be able to specify my own NNTP servers including LAN or localhost if I want to, even when it is not actually connected to the internet).
For knowing how to improve the software, I would like to write public comments to criticize it so that they can improve it from that (and so that others can publicly criticize my public criticism too if desired).
Re: Ask HN: Will you use software that has telemetry on by default?
#20Yes, because I don't care about telemetry. I have telemetry in the products our company makes because it's a useful tool to see where customers are stuck. At the end of the day, those customers pay for our salaries so we'll do whatever we can to make them happy.
> customers pay for our salaries so we'll do whatever we can to make them happy
To a lot of people that means no telemetry. Look at what happened with the Go compiler telemetry. I think that's the only time I've seen someone actually listen to customer desire and remove telemetry.