Firefox splash page tracker

[Robert 'Bob' Jensen]

Dimitris Glezos wrote:
> Karsten, Max, et al,
> 
> I believe the addition of such a tracker (solution 1) will have a bad impact on
> the image of the Fedora Project on our users, which will not be worth the
> information gained from this addition.
> 
> I'll try to elaborate my thoughts.
> 
> 
> Trackers
> ========
> 
> Such trackers were always faced with bad criticism. This takes place with every
> equipment used for tracking: emails containing notices like "the sender asked to
> be notified when you read this email", cameras in the streets and shops,
> security checks in airports, digital IDs, RFIDs, even Credit Cards. People even
> feel irritated with phrases like "this conversation will be recorded for
> training purposes". They usually don't behave the same, even if they were
> guaranteed that the data will be trashed right after the event.
> 
> I admit to be quite a bit irritated when I get messages from webpages saying
> "Hi. You are 84.9.192, you are using Firefox 1.5 on Linux" even though *I know*
> that my browser does expose this information. I know this is silly, but even
> though I know it happens, I don't like hearing it. Notifying me that it does
> happen makes things worse.
> 
> BTW this is not a matter of conspiracy theories: It's just that I like websites
> that don't do this or remind me that it is done more than those which do.
> 
> The user's desktop is like his digital home. It's private, it's exposed to
> dangers from intruders, the user is bound to it in a very special way.
> Applications that somehow used the Internet for a reason the company saw fit
> were always badly criticized from the users. I believe that's why, even today,
> 99% of the proprietary applications don't use the connection to the Internet to
> check if the software is cracked.
> 
> 
> Other solutions
> ===============
> 
> So, the question is: Is it worth it?
> 
> Well, my opinion is that it is *not* and the extra information will not be much
> more worth than, say, the visits to our website.
> 
> But let's say it does.
> 
> One approach would be to reduce the fuss about it: Add a 1x1 image somewhere on
> the page that comes from the net (solution 2). User won't be told so he won't
> have the chance to think our motivations are bad (which of course aren't). This
> "secret" approach will also have a bad impact on our image (this time in the
> media shouting about user privacy). But: a) some people will think "big deal,
> it's just a pixel, the guys want to count their users" and b) at least 95% of
> the users won't find out about it, which probably is not bad because we are not
> doing anything wrong.
> 
> Another line of thinking (better) is that we can count users in other ways, less
> intrusive, just like other projects do. And, in addition, some of these ways
> provide more information than the tracker one.
> 
> For example, we could ask the user to send us a ping during the first boot of
> the system (solution 3). Package `firstboot` could say something like:
> 
> If we need to count more than systems that re/installed FC6, and, say, count
> unique users, we could have that message on top of the splash page (solution 4).
> Whatever the users clicks, a cookie stores her choice in a cookie so that she
> won't be asked again.
> 
> Finally, the most useful and non-intrusive approach (solution 5) is to ask the
> user fill a short questionnaire. More helpful data than any other approach, less
> suspicious intentions.
> 
> 
> Summary of solutions
> --------------------
> 
>  1. Original suggestion: image on splash page with description.
>  2. Tiny invisible image with no description.
>  3. Ping from Firstboot.
>  4. Ping from splash (once).
>  5. Questionnaire from firstboot or splash.
> 
> 
> Accuracy
> --------
> 
> None of the solutions give has any accuracy on the number of users using Fedora.
> Analytically the solutions:
> 
>  1,2: The image could be put in any webpage and the users with dynamic IPs would
> be counted as multiple users.
> 
>  3: Doesn't count upgrades to FC6 and also gives option of just clicking "next".
> 
>  4: Suffers like 1: multiple locations could point there and people who clear
> their cookies often will see the message over and over.
> 
>  5: Like 4, but a bit better because the bogus calls will be fewer.
> 
> 
> Conclusion
> ==========
> 
> To summarize a very long email (sorry): I believe users would like it better if
> we did not use their desktop to track anything or ask them any such question. I
> wasn't convinced that the value it will give the project will be worth the cost
> of the image of the project.
> 
> I'm sorry but I feel this is a very delicate matter that touches sensitive
> chords and fragile nerves. Actions like these sometimes make people feel that
> their privacy was disturbed or their personal normal lives intruded for
> third-party benefits.
> 
> If I had to choose from the solutions, I would go for the most "human"/less
> intrusive one, #5 (the questionnaire).
> 
> 
> Sorry again for the length of the email.
> 
> -dim
> 

Note to all we do not even have a "final" Privacy Policy [1} on the Wiki 
yet.

[1] http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Legal/PrivacyPolicy

-- 
Robert 'Bob' Jensen *        * http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/BobJensen
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