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BitWeasel
join:2012-05-22

7 recommendations

BitWeasel to howardfine

Member

to howardfine

Re: [FireFox] Mozilla adding phone home spy feature to Firefox

When *any* software developer builds into their product an elaborate mechanism for creating "studies" that collect information about the user's configuration and use of a product that *is* a problem. A problem that becomes more prevalent with each passing year because more and more marketing and metrics people push for it and fewer and fewer end users actively oppose it. Nothing is lost by doing this the right way: making it a 100% optional, pure opt-in, addon driven component. Sure, metrics people will whine they they won't get all the data they want and likely try to spin things by playing up "opt-in creates a bias" while neglecting to mention that opt-out creates an equal but opposite like bias. The very best way to try to mute the bias issue is to force the user to choose "yes, please install" or "no, please don't install" *before* the offensive and risky components are installed. I think anyone who cares about the future of Firefox and Firefox users would support this kind of approach and oppose the less user friendly alternative that Mozilla appears intent on pursuing.

dandelion
MVM
join:2003-04-29
Germantown, TN

1 recommendation

dandelion

MVM

said by BitWeasel:

When *any* software developer builds into their product an elaborate mechanism for creating "studies" that collect information about the user's configuration and use of a product that *is* a problem. A problem that becomes more prevalent with each passing year because more and more marketing and metrics people push for it and fewer and fewer end users actively oppose it. Nothing is lost by doing this the right way: making it a 100% optional, pure opt-in, addon driven component. Sure, metrics people will whine they they won't get all the data they want and likely try to spin things by playing up "opt-in creates a bias" while neglecting to mention that opt-out creates an equal but opposite like bias. The very best way to try to mute the bias issue is to force the user to choose "yes, please install" or "no, please don't install" *before* the offensive and risky components are installed. I think anyone who cares about the future of Firefox and Firefox users would support this kind of approach and oppose the less user friendly alternative that Mozilla appears intent on pursuing.

Agreeing with this approach.. some would point out that ff is a free browser. Take it or leave it.. there are others.

My issue with this is I actually LIKE/becoming less and less.... firefox, I don't even care if the browser requires some payment/donation to use if it continues to stay user friendly and IMO user friendly is allowing this yes/no before installation rather then have to remember.. opt-in/opt-out.. change this or that in order to keep some semblance of the privacy desired on the web. Some I agree wouldn't care but I think more care then what is portrayed using the term "general public".

Grail Knight

Premium Member
join:2003-05-31
Valhalla

Grail Knight

Premium Member

This is not particularity pointed at you just an observation.

I think some people are forgetting that this feature is still in development and its options are as yet not set in stone.

If what MoFo offers is not to ones liking 3rd Party dev builds are an option and I have little doubt someone will offer Fx (or whatever name they give it) sans data collection in the future.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20

Premium Member

I think most of us had not seen the bug thread until you posted it and I appreciated the link to that.

So, how do we find out the date of the Town Hall meeting on this and can anyone attend and voice an opinion? I get the idea that the Town Hall meeting is just window dressing as the important decisions have already been made and as BenB posted on Sept 21 in the bug thread "My proposal on how to collect data anonymously was completely ignored."

But I'll attend the town hall meeting if I know when and where. I don't think anything anyone says now though will stop Mozilla or even get them to make it Opt In. This is great for Opera. Europe will switch to Opera now and Firefox will be on the road to irrelevancy except maybe in the USA where we currently spit on privacy.

Grail Knight

Premium Member
join:2003-05-31
Valhalla

Grail Knight

Premium Member

Not sure when the meeting is not that I would attend it when email works fine for reporting opinions.