[fab] [Fwd: Re: Firefox splash page tracker]

Thu Oct 5 00:19:19 UTC 2006

I am forwarding this here, I feel that the placement of a tracking image 
on the default browser page is in bad form. I do not think it should 
happen for the FC6 release. If we need to generate numbers lets set a 
priority 1 task to the community to figure out a better way.

For more info on this subject please see the discussion on the 
Fedora-Docs-List

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Firefox splash page tracker
Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 03:33:42 +0100
From: Dimitris Glezos <dimitris at glezos.com>
Reply-To: dimitris at glezos.com,	For participants of the Documentation 
Project <fedora-docs-list at redhat.com>
To: Karsten Wade <kwade at redhat.com>
CC: fedora-docs-list at redhat.com
References: <1159474492.13299.139.camel at erato.phig.org>

O/H Karsten Wade έγραψε:
> Dimitris:
> 
> We just got a last-minute idea from Max Spevack et al, to put a hit
> tracker on the splash page.  A box in the upper corner/somewhere like
> below[1].

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:

> We would like to count the users of Fedora. You could send us a ping which
> will be more or less like saying to us "Hi guys!". Would you like to send us
> a ping then? (Please do!)
>
> ["Hi guys!"]
>
> If not, you can click "Next" to continue to the next page.

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

> I know this is going to be untranslated, but we can catch it in an
> update to the package, and many people won't get a translated page,
> anyway.  The value this gives the whole project is very worth the
> effort.
> 
> [1] Please add the following:
> 
> ######### Begin Box #################################################
> <div class="tracking-spot">
> <p>
> Hey, Fedora users!  We are trying to figure out how many desktop users
> we have.  We are using a simple image to count the number of hits we get
> from unique IP addresses.  We are <b>not</b> tracking any identifiable
> information.
> </p>
> <p>
> This image right here:
> </p>
> <img src="http://fedoraproject.org/fc6-desktop-tracker.png" alt="blue
> tracking dot" width="1" height="1"/>
> <p>
> ...is being used for that purpose.  If you see the image, that means 
> you are online, and you have been counted.  If you do not see the image,
> it is because you are offline, and the image cannot load.
> </p>
> <p>
> Why is this important?  Because we need to know how many users we have, 
> which helps help us fund innovations to Fedora. 
> </p>
> </div>
> ######### End Box ####################################################
> 
> How does that sound?  Any alteration suggestions?
> 
> Thanks - Karsten

-- 
Dimitris Glezos
Jabber ID: glezos at jabber.org, GPG: 0xA5A04C3B
http://dimitris.glezos.com/

"He who gives up functionality for ease of use
loses both and deserves neither." (Anonymous)
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