in reply to Re: Gathering module usage statistics
in thread Gathering module usage statistics

I've no real objection to the information being gathered, but I want to be asked first.

I expect users to read the README file and to watch on screen information. More than enough time will be given to abort the process. You are asked first, but the default will be "I agree".

The information is private to me

Why is it private?

Webster's describes private as: 

     1. Belonging to, or concerning, an individual person,
        company, or interest; peculiar to one's self; unconnected
        with others; personal; one's own; not public; not general;
        separate; as, a man's private opinion; private property; a
        private purse; private expenses or interests; a private
        secretary.
   
     2. Sequestered from company or observation; appropriated to
        an individual; secret; secluded; lonely; solitary; as, a
        private room or apartment; private prayer.

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None of these descriptions apply to the perl version and platform name. Unless anyone has any reason to keep those things secret. In which case I would *still* like to know why. How would me or anyone in the world knowing those things harm you? Can they be used against you? Can you be identified by them? Did you hack your SSN into $^O?

(as an aside you might be interested in cpanstats.)

Cpanstats is a waste of time. With only 80 systems reporting (again I say: opt-in does NOT work) the information gathered is useless.

Juerd # { site => 'juerd.nl', plp_site => 'plp.juerd.nl', do_not_use => 'spamtrap' }

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Re^3: Gathering module usage statistics
by adrianh (Chancellor) on May 04, 2004 at 22:23 UTC
    I expect users to read the README file and to watch on screen information. More than enough time will be given to abort the process. You are asked first, but the default will be "I agree".

    Automated assumption of a "yes" isn't me agreeing.

    If I hit return to start installation in CPAN and are then immediately struck dead by a heart attack your software will send the information. How did I agree to that?

    To pick a (hopefully) more common scenario. I hit return, see the message and my dialup connection dies. It takes way longer than 10 seconds for me to reconnect and ssh to some of the boxes I administer.

    Why is it private? ... None of these descriptions apply to the perl version and platform name.

    Yes they do.

    What version of Perl running on the Linux box in my office upstairs? You don't know because the information is:

    Belonging to, or concerning, an individual person,         company, or interest;... personal; one's own; not public ... Sequestered from company or observation; appropriated to         an individual; secret
    How would me or anyone in the world knowing those things harm you?
    1. The question of harm is separate from the question of privacy. I do not want every piece of private information I possess made public just because it won't do me any harm. We're not living in the transparent society quite yet :-)
    2. As I've already pointed out there are potential scenarios where somebody knowing these things can cause me harm.
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      If I hit return to start installation in CPAN and are then immediately struck dead by a heart attack your software will send the information. How did I agree to that? To pick a (hopefully) more common scenario. I hit return, see the message and my dialup connection dies. It takes way longer than 10 seconds for me to reconnect and ssh to some of the boxes I administer.

      These are good points.

      How about:

      • Message with prompt, defaults to "Yes".
      • If after 60 seconds no choice has been made, "No" is automatically chosen.
      A timeout because installation must work without attention, 60 seconds because I want people to say Yes :).

      Juerd # { site => 'juerd.nl', plp_site => 'plp.juerd.nl', do_not_use => 'spamtrap' }

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        Completely fine with me. As long as somebody has to actively agree to the information being sent.

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        Opt-out is one of the techniques used by spammers today. "Oh, if they don't want it, they can opt out." This is an invasion of privacy (in the general sense) and is generally (as you have found out) met with some level of hostility.

        In general, once I have downloaded a chunk of software, I don't want it talking to the outside world unless I have allowed it to. This is why I run firewalls and have detectors on the network stack for every machine I own. Opt-out flies in the face of that. Opt-in places the decision back in the hands of the user.

        Opt-in is the more "community-friendly" approach, and I thank you for your update.

        --MidLifeXis

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