If Audacity branded itself as as an "offline audio editing program" I would agree with you, but its headline is (and has been) "Free, open source, cross-platfor

If Audacity branded itself as as an "offline audio editing program" I would agree with you, but its headline is (and has been) "Free, open source, cross-platform audio software." I think using the internet to check for updates and report crashes is perfectly within that mission and, on balance, not using the internet in those situations seems to go against the mission. Should there be a way to disable that communication? Yes, and there is. Beyond all that - if you are seeking the level of anonymity that would require evading program update checks or crash submissions - then you should probably lock down your network as your biggest worry is probably not your open source audio software.