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The code is GPL. https://github.com/audacity/audacity https://github.com/audacity/audacity The application privacy policy is here https://www.audacityteam.or

The code is GPL. https://github.com/audacity/audacity https://github.com/audacity/audacity The application privacy policy is here https://www.audacityteam.org/desktop-privacy-notice/ https://www.audacityteam.org/desktop-privacy-notice/

knowitnone3 1y ago
GPL doesn't guarantee you security in any way, shape, or form nor is a privacy policy.
- brudgers 1y ago
  Sure and I agree. However Reddit is sometimes a source of sensational misunderstanding, fear, uncertainty, doubt and misinformation.
  - HeatrayEnjoyer 1y ago
    Who said anything about reddit?
    - brudgers 1y ago
      The claim of Russian involvement was a link to HN comments on a link to a Reddit thread.
  - e40 1y ago
    It’s amazing how much you are avoiding the question.
- Tantacrul 1y ago
  You're right. Neither of these things are proof of honesty but to be clear, I would never work on a project that collects or misuses user data. This isn’t really a matter of “taking my word for it,” either. If anything like that were happening, it would be visible in the codebase, which anyone can look through (and many have). The app simply can’t transmit data without explicit instructions in the code. Audacity does not store any personal information of any kind, and never did.
  - cowboylowrez 1y ago
    yeah I think audacity just got dinged by its association with musescore, but its probably a good idea to watch out who you associate with. I like audacity but I try to stick with the earliest version that still runs, my current version is like 5 years old or something and it does what I need.
    - brudgers 1y ago
      The author of the comment to which you responded is head of both Musescore and Audacity. They also made the fine video.
      - cowboylowrez 1y ago
        He's probably aware of all the issues then, it'd thus be ok to just hide my comment, I don't mind. I will say that everytime I read about the musescore/audacity/guitar-whatever-it-is stuff it makes me want to find an earlier version of audacity, I might run out of versions at some point haha
      - knowitnone3 1y ago
        and how are you tied to these groups with their "fine video"
        brudgers 1y ago
        I posted the fine link. And use the fine software.
  - macarc888 1y ago
    It's not quite that simple. While the codebase is open source, the website could provide binaries that were not built from the open source code (e.g by patching to add tracking). So it is necessary to trust Muse Group if you're installing from the recommended source (which the vast majority of users will be doing). Even if there is no tracking at the moment, there is always the worry that Muse Group will "go bad" and start adding tracking, or make the later versions closed-source, etc. One could argue that it's still better than a fully closed source company - sure - but what happens to Audacity/MuseScore then? Reliance on a single company developing code has huge benefits: as discussed in this video, the centralisation really helped with vision and planning; but it does make me slightly uncomfortable. The development is no longer "open", in the sense of community driven. The application now has a different goal (to make money for Muse Group), not necessarily aligned with what users want/need. It cuts to the core of what we actually want from free software - lack of profit motive? transparency? Of what exactly?

knowitnone3 1y ago

GPL doesn't guarantee you security in any way, shape, or form nor is a privacy policy.

brudgers 1y ago
Sure and I agree. However Reddit is sometimes a source of sensational misunderstanding, fear, uncertainty, doubt and misinformation.
- HeatrayEnjoyer 1y ago
  Who said anything about reddit?
  - brudgers 1y ago
    The claim of Russian involvement was a link to HN comments on a link to a Reddit thread.
- e40 1y ago
  It’s amazing how much you are avoiding the question.
Tantacrul 1y ago
You're right. Neither of these things are proof of honesty but to be clear, I would never work on a project that collects or misuses user data. This isn’t really a matter of “taking my word for it,” either. If anything like that were happening, it would be visible in the codebase, which anyone can look through (and many have). The app simply can’t transmit data without explicit instructions in the code. Audacity does not store any personal information of any kind, and never did.
- cowboylowrez 1y ago
  yeah I think audacity just got dinged by its association with musescore, but its probably a good idea to watch out who you associate with. I like audacity but I try to stick with the earliest version that still runs, my current version is like 5 years old or something and it does what I need.
  - brudgers 1y ago
    The author of the comment to which you responded is head of both Musescore and Audacity. They also made the fine video.
    - cowboylowrez 1y ago
      He's probably aware of all the issues then, it'd thus be ok to just hide my comment, I don't mind. I will say that everytime I read about the musescore/audacity/guitar-whatever-it-is stuff it makes me want to find an earlier version of audacity, I might run out of versions at some point haha
    - knowitnone3 1y ago
      and how are you tied to these groups with their "fine video"
      - brudgers 1y ago
        I posted the fine link. And use the fine software.
- macarc888 1y ago
  It's not quite that simple. While the codebase is open source, the website could provide binaries that were not built from the open source code (e.g by patching to add tracking). So it is necessary to trust Muse Group if you're installing from the recommended source (which the vast majority of users will be doing). Even if there is no tracking at the moment, there is always the worry that Muse Group will "go bad" and start adding tracking, or make the later versions closed-source, etc. One could argue that it's still better than a fully closed source company - sure - but what happens to Audacity/MuseScore then? Reliance on a single company developing code has huge benefits: as discussed in this video, the centralisation really helped with vision and planning; but it does make me slightly uncomfortable. The development is no longer "open", in the sense of community driven. The application now has a different goal (to make money for Muse Group), not necessarily aligned with what users want/need. It cuts to the core of what we actually want from free software - lack of profit motive? transparency? Of what exactly?