Re^3: Gathering module usage statistics

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?

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 :-)
As I've already pointed out there are potential scenarios where somebody knowing these things can cause me harm.

Comment on Re^3: Gathering module usage statistics

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Re: Re^3: Gathering module usage statistics by Juerd (Abbot) on May 04, 2004 at 22:32 UTC
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' }	[reply]
Re^5: Gathering module usage statistics by adrianh (Chancellor) on May 04, 2004 at 22:36 UTC
Completely fine with me. As long as somebody has to actively agree to the information being sent.	[reply]
Re^5: Gathering module usage statistics by MidLifeXis (Monsignor) on May 05, 2004 at 17:26 UTC
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	[reply]