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What's wrong with the little popup that asks you if you want to report a problem every time a crash happens? Is there really any problem with letting the user c

What's wrong with the little popup that asks you if you want to report a problem every time a crash happens? Is there really any problem with letting the user choose on a case-by-case basis? If it's happening so frequently that the popup becomes annoying, you've got bigger problems.

blaser-waffle 7y ago
Because people rarely click Yes, even if it's rare. Plus it means little to the end user, and outside of HN, Slashdot, or other tech forums, most folks don't even know what telemetry means in an OS context. They click No, and move on.
- labawi 7y ago
  Are you saying all of those users whose browsers are crashing on a large scale are going to say no? Also, are you implying software should send telemetry to the mothership regardless of users' will? There used to be a time software was tested and released finished.
- yellowapple 7y ago
  > Because people rarely click Yes, even if it's rare. In my observation the precise opposite is true; your average user will immediately click "Yes" without reading in the hopes of making the error go away.
- JohnFen 7y ago
  So you're arguing that because people will decline to share the data, they should be forced to share the data?
- wtetzner 7y ago
  So the solution is to deprive them of their privacy for your own benefit? I don't blame them for clicking "no" if they don't know what it will be used for.
kevingadd 7y ago
Providing the choice is always OK and often appropriate. The problem is when people argue that software shouldn't have telemetry or automated updates at all, because then what you get is software that respects the user's desire at a surface level - no telemetry, no automated updates - while failing to respect deeper aspects of their intent, like "I don't want to get added to a botnet", "I don't want this software to crash", and "I don't want features I like removed in future updates". You can always decide to go elsewhere of course, and software developers have the right to decide personally not to put that stuff into their apps - none of my personal projects have telemetry and most of them don't have updaters.
- wtetzner 7y ago
  > You can always decide to go elsewhere of course The problem with web browsers is that you really can't. There are really only 2 options now, and the web has become so ridiculously complicated that creating a reasonable alternative browser is nearly impossible.

blaser-waffle 7y ago

Because people rarely click Yes, even if it's rare. Plus it means little to the end user, and outside of HN, Slashdot, or other tech forums, most folks don't even know what telemetry means in an OS context. They click No, and move on.

labawi 7y ago
Are you saying all of those users whose browsers are crashing on a large scale are going to say no? Also, are you implying software should send telemetry to the mothership regardless of users' will? There used to be a time software was tested and released finished.
yellowapple 7y ago
> Because people rarely click Yes, even if it's rare. In my observation the precise opposite is true; your average user will immediately click "Yes" without reading in the hopes of making the error go away.
JohnFen 7y ago
So you're arguing that because people will decline to share the data, they should be forced to share the data?
wtetzner 7y ago
So the solution is to deprive them of their privacy for your own benefit? I don't blame them for clicking "no" if they don't know what it will be used for.

kevingadd 7y ago

Providing the choice is always OK and often appropriate. The problem is when people argue that software shouldn't have telemetry or automated updates at all, because then what you get is software that respects the user's desire at a surface level - no telemetry, no automated updates - while failing to respect deeper aspects of their intent, like "I don't want to get added to a botnet", "I don't want this software to crash", and "I don't want features I like removed in future updates". You can always decide to go elsewhere of course, and software developers have the right to decide personally not to put that stuff into their apps - none of my personal projects have telemetry and most of them don't have updaters.

wtetzner 7y ago
> You can always decide to go elsewhere of course The problem with web browsers is that you really can't. There are really only 2 options now, and the web has become so ridiculously complicated that creating a reasonable alternative browser is nearly impossible.