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Ubuntu Spyware: What to Do?

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Re: Ubuntu Spyware: What to Do?

#41

Post by hdra »

EwanToo wrote: post #13
jessaustin wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What was "over the top" about the linked piece? It's got to be the most even-tempered thing I've ever read from RMS. Did you actually read TFA before posting this comment?

I'm not going to go line by line, but you could start with this: Proprietary software is associated with malicious treatment of the user I don't believe 99% of people out there associate proprietary software with malicious treatment.

This. Although I agree with his view for free software, the way he convey his messages smells too much of fanaticism for me to swallow.

Re: Ubuntu Spyware: What to Do?

#42

Post by debacle »

rexreed wrote: post #17
daniel-cussen wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He's not good at getting his point across, only at having good points.

He definitely got the point across to me! I had been considering installing Ubuntu desktop, but this article definitely made me think twice. So, I'd say the article had its intended effect. That being said, reading the other comments here, it looks like there's more nuance in what is actually happening here. This is Ubuntu Desktop using the global search, which sends search queries to a central server. While I don't…

There is no local search. There only global search, but historically the global search was only for local files.

Re: Ubuntu Spyware: What to Do?

#43

Post by takluyver »

meaty wrote: post #23
retube wrote: post #9

I have to say, having been a huge ubuntu fan for many years, I am seriously dismayed and dissapointed. This destroys my trust in Ubuntu completely. They have ruined a great thing. Was just about to put Ubuntu on a new machine, now I'll have to switch distos. Any recommendations? Edit: I think I have misunderstood. I assumed this referred to a commmand line (s)locate or find or grep or similar. Apparently it refers to…

Local searches do not remain private as there is only one search box for global and local stuff. So when you type "goat porn" expecting it to open your folder of goat porn on your workstation, it will send it to amazon and show goat porn that you didn't want to see and tell amazon and canonical that you are interested in goat porn. In a few years time[1], on your lifetime leased IPV6 address you will pop up a legitim…

Not fully accurate. The main search box does local+global search unless you turn off the global part in settings. But you can easily do local searches only: Super+F for files, Super+A for applications.

Re: Ubuntu Spyware: What to Do?

#44

Post by reidrac »

rlpb wrote: post #8

"When the user searches her own local files for a string using the Ubuntu desktop, Ubuntu sends that string to one of Canonical's servers." That's not how I see it. I'd correct this to "When the user performs a global search for a string using the Ubuntu desktop, Ubuntu sends that string to one of Canonical's servers to perform that search". If a user wants to search his own local files without searching the entire I…

"stop with the hyperbole that is actually misleading to readers about what the real situation is"

I wonder if readers do really understand the situation or not. I don't think the hyperbole is a bad idea when features like these should be opted in and not a default for everybody. I don't know if this feature is properly advertised by the system and if there will be someone that didn't know about it.

I'm a happy 12.04 user and, since it's LTS, I'll avoid 12.10 until this issue is sorted out.

Re: Ubuntu Spyware: What to Do?

#45

Post by shardling »

EwanToo wrote: post #2

It's always interesting to read RMS' posts, though I don't agree with a lot of them. In this case, he's got a very valid point (I disabled the adverts on my Ubuntu install), but he uses such over the top language that it makes much of his writing seem like a parody. Ubuntu sending all desktop searches to Amazon by default (even if it's via a proxy) isn't cool, and isn't what most users would expect, but I don't belie…

That was so absolutely not over the top I feel you're doing anyone who hasn't read the post yet a disservice.

Re: Ubuntu Spyware: What to Do?

#46

Post by splawn »

EwanToo wrote: post #13
jessaustin wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What was "over the top" about the linked piece? It's got to be the most even-tempered thing I've ever read from RMS. Did you actually read TFA before posting this comment?

I'm not going to go line by line, but you could start with this: Proprietary software is associated with malicious treatment of the user I don't believe 99% of people out there associate proprietary software with malicious treatment.

Not disagreeing with your stated belief, but I believe most people in the linux community do associate proprietary software with maliciousness.

Re: Ubuntu Spyware: What to Do?

#47

Post by meaty »

takluyver wrote: post #43
meaty wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Local searches do not remain private as there is only one search box for global and local stuff. So when you type "goat porn" expecting it to open your folder of goat porn on your workstation, it will send it to amazon and show goat porn that you didn't want to see and tell amazon and canonical that you are interested in goat porn. In a few years time[1], on your lifetime leased IPV6 address you will pop up a legitim…

Not fully accurate. The main search box does local+global search unless you turn off the global part in settings. But you can easily do local searches only: Super+F for files, Super+A for applications.

Yes fully accurate.

By DEFAULT it does local+global search.

Motivation for user to turn this off - low.

Education on what it's going to do - none.

This is about as unethical as it can get. Even Windows 8 asks religiously before sending anything.

Re: Ubuntu Spyware: What to Do?

#48

Post by josephlord »

estel wrote: post #14
jessaustin wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What was "over the top" about the linked piece? It's got to be the most even-tempered thing I've ever read from RMS. Did you actually read TFA before posting this comment?

I found referring to the Kindle as being for "virtual book burning" straying into rhetoric.

I think you may intend somewhere towards the 3(b) definition but even that doesn't quite fit. Maybe another dictionary has a definition for your intended meaning.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/rhetoric

1.a. The art or study of using language effectively and persuasively.

b. A treatise or book discussing this art.

2. Skill in using language effectively and persuasively.

3. a. A style of speaking or writing, especially the language of a particular subject: fiery political rhetoric.

b. Language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous: His offers of compromise were mere rhetoric.

4. Verbal communication; discourse.

Re: Ubuntu Spyware: What to Do?

#49

Post by demetrius »

sparkie wrote: post #33
damian2000 wrote: post #12

Do people using Ubuntu not also use web browsers? If so, then they are also being spied on by others such as google, amazon, facebook, twitter - every time they use one of their sites. I just find it overly dramatic to be focusing on this one point of Ubuntu's search being harvested for keywords when this sort of thing is commonplace on the web. At least with Ubuntu you have the option to turn it off.

We don't associate google, amazon, twitter and facebook with free software and personal liberties though - where Ubuntu is traditionally associated with these due to it's origins. Just because something is commonplace does not make it justified, and it's perfectly right to criticize the decision to do it. We criticize google and the rest for doing the same - just that most people are not concerned, or not informed. I…

As for me, I’ve became wary of Ubuntu since it started shipping Ubuntu One pre-installed. It was clear back then that personal liberties are not that important for Canonical.

Re: Ubuntu Spyware: What to Do?

#50

Post by meaty »

I'm a little surprised at how accepting people are here relating to the Amazon feature in Ubuntu. I would assume that there are a lot of critical thinkers here as comp sci people tend to have that mentality. Possibly not!

The usual excuses are "we can turn it off etc" or just shrug it off and carry on.

Have you thought long term? If you don't make a stand with this feature, one will eventually be added which can't be turned off or is far more invasive.

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