5 ms·

I really want to try VSCode, but it sends data to Microsoft even with Telemetry et al off [1]. Which is not surprising considering that Windows itself does the

I really want to try VSCode, but it sends data to Microsoft even with Telemetry et al off [1]. Which is not surprising considering that Windows itself does the same thing [2] (hence, my not using Windows). Even if they allowed us to opt-out of telemetry now, I wouldn't trust them not to silently opt us back in later. This is not something I can accept my editor doing, and would expect a little less apathy about it from the HN crowd. Does anyone know more about the MS spyware and how much I need to worry about it? [1] https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/issues/16131 https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/issues/16131 [2] https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/08/even-when-told-not-to-windows-10-just-cant-stop-talking-to-microsoft/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/08/even-...

nolok 9y ago
Actually, the issue link you give actually states that it doesn't if you don't want it to. It used, at time of issue creation, that one telemetry call was still sent, to tell that you disabled telemetry. They have since removed that call too, and the only ones left are those to the update server at startup to know if a new version is available (and one to extension market to know if extension updates exists). It can be user disabled, by disabling auto update. I hate how Windows 10 telemetry is forced down your throat, but for vs code there is no such issue
hudo 9y ago
Most people really don't care if MS knows you opened Code, used it with JS and Python projects, and installed 3 extensions. And yeah, it makes Code much better when MS knows how you're using it, btw
- jasonkostempski 9y ago
  Most people don't care that obtaining "real" diamonds gets people killed, doesn't make it OK.
  - mikewhy 9y ago
    Yep software analytics and blood diamonds are pretty equivalent.
    - jasonkostempski 9y ago
      Anything goes if it improves the product.
baldfat 9y ago
> but it sends data to Microsoft even with Telemetry et al off I think Microsoft responded 100% correctly. They stated what they were doing, proved what they did, and they were wrong and stopping it. BTW I rather deal with a developer that is that responds this way. I also don't mind my editor sending update pings and when I have crashes which most programs are opt-out. From 2016 > today we continue to send events stating that a user has opted out and nothing else i.e. no usage data is sent. Here is the test to ensure that is all we send... https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/blob/master/src/vs/platform/telemetry/common/telemetryService.ts#L103 https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/blob/master/src/vs/platf... But we don’t need to do that and I don’t think it’s what you expect as a user – so we will stop sending anything i.e. even the opt out event Look for a change there soon. Thanks for bringing this to our attention and I hope you enjoy working with VS Code.
arcticfox 9y ago
> Does anyone know more about the MS spyware and how much I need to worry about it? Actually the project is open source, so rather than FUD up the conversation: https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/blob/master/src/vs/platform/telemetry/common/telemetryService.ts#L103 https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/blob/master/src/vs/platf...
- jasonkostempski 9y ago
  This line alone shows how they don't even grasp the concept of opt-in: this._userOptIn = typeof config.userOptIn === 'undefined' ? true : config.userOptIn; https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/blob/b0a7b57d46a2dc1bafeb256006f71897ca9cfcb2/src/vs/platform/telemetry/common/telemetryService.ts#L49 https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/blob/b0a7b57d46a2dc1bafe...
  - carapace 9y ago
    Did you file a bug? I started to and then Laziness said, "But you don't even use VSCode..."

nolok 9y ago

Actually, the issue link you give actually states that it doesn't if you don't want it to. It used, at time of issue creation, that one telemetry call was still sent, to tell that you disabled telemetry. They have since removed that call too, and the only ones left are those to the update server at startup to know if a new version is available (and one to extension market to know if extension updates exists). It can be user disabled, by disabling auto update. I hate how Windows 10 telemetry is forced down your throat, but for vs code there is no such issue

hudo 9y ago

Most people really don't care if MS knows you opened Code, used it with JS and Python projects, and installed 3 extensions. And yeah, it makes Code much better when MS knows how you're using it, btw

jasonkostempski 9y ago
Most people don't care that obtaining "real" diamonds gets people killed, doesn't make it OK.
- mikewhy 9y ago
  Yep software analytics and blood diamonds are pretty equivalent.
  - jasonkostempski 9y ago
    Anything goes if it improves the product.

baldfat 9y ago

> but it sends data to Microsoft even with Telemetry et al off I think Microsoft responded 100% correctly. They stated what they were doing, proved what they did, and they were wrong and stopping it. BTW I rather deal with a developer that is that responds this way. I also don't mind my editor sending update pings and when I have crashes which most programs are opt-out. From 2016 > today we continue to send events stating that a user has opted out and nothing else i.e. no usage data is sent. Here is the test to ensure that is all we send... https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/blob/master/src/vs/platform/telemetry/common/telemetryService.ts#L103 https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/blob/master/src/vs/platf... But we don’t need to do that and I don’t think it’s what you expect as a user – so we will stop sending anything i.e. even the opt out event Look for a change there soon. Thanks for bringing this to our attention and I hope you enjoy working with VS Code.

arcticfox 9y ago

> Does anyone know more about the MS spyware and how much I need to worry about it? Actually the project is open source, so rather than FUD up the conversation: https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/blob/master/src/vs/platform/telemetry/common/telemetryService.ts#L103 https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/blob/master/src/vs/platf...

jasonkostempski 9y ago
This line alone shows how they don't even grasp the concept of opt-in: this._userOptIn = typeof config.userOptIn === 'undefined' ? true : config.userOptIn; https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/blob/b0a7b57d46a2dc1bafeb256006f71897ca9cfcb2/src/vs/platform/telemetry/common/telemetryService.ts#L49 https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/blob/b0a7b57d46a2dc1bafe...
- carapace 9y ago
  Did you file a bug? I started to and then Laziness said, "But you don't even use VSCode..."