5 ms·

Pretty much all commercially developed software has usage collection. Why is a text editor any different?

khedoros1 10y ago
Exactly. No piece of software should be calling home, except to the degree that its core operation depends on it, and even then, that data should be easily available to the user.
- eropple 10y ago
  So developers should be shooting in the dark on what their users are actually doing with the software and have no data with which to better allocate resources to the features that will cover the most users? Bold move, Cotton.
  - khedoros1 10y ago
    When they don't provide a method for their user to audit and/or disable telemetry? Yes, I'd prefer them to be blind. I don't expect that this would be a particularly popular position, and that if I kept it as a strict requirement for software I use, it would make it essentially impossible for me to find options in whole classes of software.
  - izacus 10y ago
    Developers built great software just fine without constant data spying.... on the other hand all that great "important" data collection somehow doesn't assist in making modern Electron apps any less of a CPU, battery and RAM hogging arse of a software. Most of analytics data never gets looked at and never provides any useful insight because it's setup poorly.
    - hashhar 10y ago
      Well, comparing VSCode to Atom I can say that VSCode runs circles around Atom even though both of them are electron based editors.
  - sooheon 10y ago
    Yes, developers should have to put some thought into designing their own products. If they're curious how their product is being used, they should do the footwork and ask, and open channels for voluntary feedback. They can collect data with permission. End users' control over their own data is more important than making it easier for developers.
  - codedokode 10y ago
    Developers should ask users to opt-in and help with the development. Programs should not send a single byte without users's consent.

Exactly. No piece of software should be calling home, except to the degree that its core operation depends on it, and even then, that data should be easily available to the user.

eropple 10y ago
So developers should be shooting in the dark on what their users are actually doing with the software and have no data with which to better allocate resources to the features that will cover the most users? Bold move, Cotton.
- khedoros1 10y ago
  When they don't provide a method for their user to audit and/or disable telemetry? Yes, I'd prefer them to be blind. I don't expect that this would be a particularly popular position, and that if I kept it as a strict requirement for software I use, it would make it essentially impossible for me to find options in whole classes of software.
- izacus 10y ago
  Developers built great software just fine without constant data spying.... on the other hand all that great "important" data collection somehow doesn't assist in making modern Electron apps any less of a CPU, battery and RAM hogging arse of a software. Most of analytics data never gets looked at and never provides any useful insight because it's setup poorly.
  - hashhar 10y ago
    Well, comparing VSCode to Atom I can say that VSCode runs circles around Atom even though both of them are electron based editors.
- sooheon 10y ago
  Yes, developers should have to put some thought into designing their own products. If they're curious how their product is being used, they should do the footwork and ask, and open channels for voluntary feedback. They can collect data with permission. End users' control over their own data is more important than making it easier for developers.
- codedokode 10y ago
  Developers should ask users to opt-in and help with the development. Programs should not send a single byte without users's consent.