5 ms·

Serious question: why would you want to send to Google details of the software you're installing on your computer?

by cocotino 10y ago

the_mitsuhiko 10y ago
Because it helps the ecosystem?
- mikemcquaid 10y ago
  The main self-interested reason: we use analytics to judge what packages and options to remove. If no-one using analytics uses software: next time it requires non-trivial maintenance work it will likely be removed rather than fixed.
  - Karunamon 10y ago
    That's even worse - if I had a penny for every time a useful, but unpopular thing was shut down, I could fund my own startup!
    - mikemcquaid 10y ago
      And we could fund our open-source project to maintain these things. Sadly neither of us have these pennies ;)
Buge 10y ago
It's not that they want to send it to Google, it's that they want to send it to homebrew, and google is an intermediary. Sending it to homebrew allows them to know what features are being used, so they know what features they could remove or improve.
- s_q_b 10y ago
  If homebrew is transmitting the packages you install across the internet, through Google's servers, and through homebrew's system, it is very possible that information could be swept up in a dragnet or stored on a server that could later be subpoenaed or searched with a warrant.
  - semi-extrinsic 10y ago
    The analytics issue aside, how can a package manager not transmit what packages you install across the internet? At some point it has to request the package(s) you're installing from somewhere on the internet.
    - s_q_b 10y ago
      Yeah, over TLS, and I generally presume that a simple request for a package won't be logged and recorded for posterity.
- cocotino 10y ago
  So don't use Google as an intermediary. Debian runs popcon, for example. They could run something similar.
andybak 10y ago
It might amaze many of you to hear this but it's because I genuinely doubt Google will do anything nefarious with this data.
pbiggar 10y ago
Because it's useful to homebrew. Analytics help software makers - that's why they exist. [PS: that's not a serious question: it's completely facetious.]

Serious question: why would you want to send to Google details of the software you're installing on your computer?

the_mitsuhiko 10y ago

Because it helps the ecosystem?

mikemcquaid 10y ago
The main self-interested reason: we use analytics to judge what packages and options to remove. If no-one using analytics uses software: next time it requires non-trivial maintenance work it will likely be removed rather than fixed.
- Karunamon 10y ago
  That's even worse - if I had a penny for every time a useful, but unpopular thing was shut down, I could fund my own startup!
  - mikemcquaid 10y ago
    And we could fund our open-source project to maintain these things. Sadly neither of us have these pennies ;)

Buge 10y ago

It's not that they want to send it to Google, it's that they want to send it to homebrew, and google is an intermediary. Sending it to homebrew allows them to know what features are being used, so they know what features they could remove or improve.

s_q_b 10y ago
If homebrew is transmitting the packages you install across the internet, through Google's servers, and through homebrew's system, it is very possible that information could be swept up in a dragnet or stored on a server that could later be subpoenaed or searched with a warrant.
- semi-extrinsic 10y ago
  The analytics issue aside, how can a package manager not transmit what packages you install across the internet? At some point it has to request the package(s) you're installing from somewhere on the internet.
  - s_q_b 10y ago
    Yeah, over TLS, and I generally presume that a simple request for a package won't be logged and recorded for posterity.
cocotino 10y ago
So don't use Google as an intermediary. Debian runs popcon, for example. They could run something similar.

andybak 10y ago

It might amaze many of you to hear this but it's because I genuinely doubt Google will do anything nefarious with this data.

pbiggar 10y ago

Because it's useful to homebrew. Analytics help software makers - that's why they exist. [PS: that's not a serious question: it's completely facetious.]