6 ms·

Is anyone else creeped out that this desktop application phones home every time you start it? Is this just the new normal now?

bgammon 11y ago
I have no idea what the system is, but it could be something as innocuous as automatic updates. In reality, they probably do send some form of diagnostic information, but since the application is open source, it seems unlikely there would be no way to disable that if it exists.
- joefitzgerald 11y ago
  https://github.com/atom/metrics#collected-data https://github.com/atom/metrics#collected-data Metrics collection can be disabled by the user, and this option is also presented to the user on first load of Atom.
smarx007 11y ago
It checks for updates automatically, so I think that gives them the stats, same should be valid for Sublime.
- tlrobinson 11y ago
  Atom actually uses Google Analytics too: http://i.imgur.com/bXwEDes.png http://i.imgur.com/bXwEDes.png
  - taylorfausak 11y ago
    You can disable the analytics from within Atom by disabling this package: https://atom.io/packages/metrics https://atom.io/packages/metrics
jsprogrammer 11y ago
If that creeps you out, you should probably run a completely closed firewall, where you specifically enable applications' access to the network. I don't know if it is new normal, or old normal, or even normal, but many applications have been doing it for a long time now.
- Touche 11y ago
  In this case they are using Google Analytics, which I consider to be malware, so for me I couldn't use the editor.
  - adrianpike 11y ago
    Serious question, what makes you consider GA malware?
    - Touche 11y ago
      It's software to silently track your activity across the web without your knowledge or approval.
      - victorhooi 11y ago
        The knowledge/approval part isn't Google Analytics - that's usually built in to whatever uses it. In the case of Atom, they state quite plainly on first-load that they track usage for the purposes of telemetry/product improvement, and you can opt-out on first-open. I'm not really sure I see the issue? Also, usually with Google Analytics you're viewing a remote website (or in this case I suppose you're phoning home for updates on every startup). If they really wanted to, they could just check their webserver logs. It just saves them having to parse it or graph it. Is there some particular new information you're concerned or worried about leaking, that they don't already have?
        Touche 11y ago
        > The knowledge/approval part isn't Google Analytics - that's usually built in to whatever uses it. That's right, GA is the malware and websites / apps that use it are distributing malware. Sort of like SourceForge distributing malware with its installers. > I'm not really sure I see the issue? Do you have an issue IRL if someone follows you around, taking notes of every where you go? I do.
sigzero 11y ago
You can turn it off.
tlrobinson 11y ago
Pretty much. Almost everyone does it, if only for software updates. I block the obvious ones like Google Analytics using Little Snitch.
Igglyboo 11y ago
Not really, automatically checking for updates on startup is very commonplace with desktop applications.
bithush 11y ago
So does Sublime Text if you have auto-updates enabled.
tdicola 11y ago
It was the new normal like 15 years ago. Almost every major application phones home to deliver bug reports, telemetry, check for updates, etc. Read the terms and conditions of apps when you install them next time.
- michaelmrose 11y ago
  Funny none of my stuff on Linux does.
tacone 11y ago
Yes it is. Visual Studio for Linux also does the same thing and, unlike Atom, there's no opt-out.
- pritambaral 11y ago
  You mean Visual Studio Code, which is nothing like Visual Studio, except in name and their creator.
  - tacone 11y ago
    Yes, that one.
Atom4966 11y ago
I find it really creepy too. I think it's now become a part of the culture of both the Atom and VS Code communities. If you bring it up everyine rushes to tell you about how to disable the metrics package while ignoring the other packages that sends data to bugsnag. In the case of VS Code there are instructions to disable it by editing the code which means that when you update, it'll be reverted. At the same time, automatic updates are enabled by default, so it effectively can't be disabled. There are also several popular plugins for both editors that come with analytics on by default with minimal to no mention of this in their descriptions.

bgammon 11y ago

I have no idea what the system is, but it could be something as innocuous as automatic updates. In reality, they probably do send some form of diagnostic information, but since the application is open source, it seems unlikely there would be no way to disable that if it exists.

joefitzgerald 11y ago
https://github.com/atom/metrics#collected-data https://github.com/atom/metrics#collected-data Metrics collection can be disabled by the user, and this option is also presented to the user on first load of Atom.

smarx007 11y ago

It checks for updates automatically, so I think that gives them the stats, same should be valid for Sublime.

tlrobinson 11y ago
Atom actually uses Google Analytics too: http://i.imgur.com/bXwEDes.png http://i.imgur.com/bXwEDes.png
- taylorfausak 11y ago
  You can disable the analytics from within Atom by disabling this package: https://atom.io/packages/metrics https://atom.io/packages/metrics

jsprogrammer 11y ago

If that creeps you out, you should probably run a completely closed firewall, where you specifically enable applications' access to the network. I don't know if it is new normal, or old normal, or even normal, but many applications have been doing it for a long time now.

Touche 11y ago
In this case they are using Google Analytics, which I consider to be malware, so for me I couldn't use the editor.
- adrianpike 11y ago
  Serious question, what makes you consider GA malware?
  - Touche 11y ago
    It's software to silently track your activity across the web without your knowledge or approval.
    - victorhooi 11y ago
      The knowledge/approval part isn't Google Analytics - that's usually built in to whatever uses it. In the case of Atom, they state quite plainly on first-load that they track usage for the purposes of telemetry/product improvement, and you can opt-out on first-open. I'm not really sure I see the issue? Also, usually with Google Analytics you're viewing a remote website (or in this case I suppose you're phoning home for updates on every startup). If they really wanted to, they could just check their webserver logs. It just saves them having to parse it or graph it. Is there some particular new information you're concerned or worried about leaking, that they don't already have?
      - Touche 11y ago
        > The knowledge/approval part isn't Google Analytics - that's usually built in to whatever uses it. That's right, GA is the malware and websites / apps that use it are distributing malware. Sort of like SourceForge distributing malware with its installers. > I'm not really sure I see the issue? Do you have an issue IRL if someone follows you around, taking notes of every where you go? I do.

sigzero 11y ago

You can turn it off.

tlrobinson 11y ago

Pretty much. Almost everyone does it, if only for software updates. I block the obvious ones like Google Analytics using Little Snitch.

Igglyboo 11y ago

Not really, automatically checking for updates on startup is very commonplace with desktop applications.

bithush 11y ago

So does Sublime Text if you have auto-updates enabled.

tdicola 11y ago

It was the new normal like 15 years ago. Almost every major application phones home to deliver bug reports, telemetry, check for updates, etc. Read the terms and conditions of apps when you install them next time.

michaelmrose 11y ago
Funny none of my stuff on Linux does.

tacone 11y ago

Yes it is. Visual Studio for Linux also does the same thing and, unlike Atom, there's no opt-out.

pritambaral 11y ago
You mean Visual Studio Code, which is nothing like Visual Studio, except in name and their creator.
- tacone 11y ago
  Yes, that one.

Atom4966 11y ago

I find it really creepy too. I think it's now become a part of the culture of both the Atom and VS Code communities. If you bring it up everyine rushes to tell you about how to disable the metrics package while ignoring the other packages that sends data to bugsnag. In the case of VS Code there are instructions to disable it by editing the code which means that when you update, it'll be reverted. At the same time, automatic updates are enabled by default, so it effectively can't be disabled. There are also several popular plugins for both editors that come with analytics on by default with minimal to no mention of this in their descriptions.