Re: [RFC PATCH v1] telemetry design overview (part 1)

From: Johannes Sixt <j6t@kdbg.org>
Date: Jun 9, 2018, 22:44 UTC
Message-ID: <410f0fee-010c-c178-224c-e47ae0b0dda6@kdbg.org>
In-Reply-To: <nycvar.QRO.7.76.6.1806092241180.77@tvgsbejvaqbjf.bet>

Am 09.06.2018 um 22:43 schrieb Johannes Schindelin:

Show 18 quoted lines

> On Sat, 9 Jun 2018, Johannes Sixt wrote:
>> When you want usage data, ask your users for feedback. Look over their
>> shoulders. But do not ask the software itself to gather usage data. It will be
>> abused.
>>
>> Do not offer open source software that has a "call-home" method built-in.
>>
>> If you want to peek into the workplaces of YOUR users, then monkey-patch
>> survaillance into YOUR version of Git. But please do not burden the rest of
>> us.
> 
> We already offer hooks. You can do anything with those hooks. Even, if you
> do not pay close attention, to transfer all your bitcoin to a specific
> account.
> 
> I agree with Peff: this is something you as a user need to be aware of,
> and need to make sure you configure your Git just like you want. As long
> as this is a purely opt-in feature, it is useful and helpful.

The problem with this feature is not so much that it enables someone to do bad things, but that it is specifically targeted at recording *how users use Git*.

> We do need it in-house, for the many thousands of Git users we try to
> support with a relatively small team of Git developers.

Then please build your private version and sell it to your thousands of Git users. "in-house" == Microsoft? Small team of Git developers? So, instead of shelling out the bucks for this extra burden, they put the burden on the Community?

-- Hannes