4 ms·

The operating system does not need to know your full name, email and location in order to manage your hardware and software, yet systemd has had optional fields

The operating system does not need to know your full name, email and location in order to manage your hardware and software, yet systemd has had optional fields for those for years and nobody complained. They added an extra optional field for the date of birth. > Some of this has been fueled by a misinformation campaign that has targeted the systemd project and Taylor specifically, resulting in Taylor being doxxed and receiving death threats. I see.

marshray 6mo ago
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rasz 6mo ago
> full name, email and location in order to manage your hardware and software, yet systemd has had optional fields for those for years and nobody complained. maybe we should complain
- nine_k 6mo ago
  Why, it's fine to have these values in a corporate environment: name, work email, office location. I'd be fine with an ability to store the birth date, the blood type, the zodiac sign, actually an arbitrary list of key-value pairs, as long as it's optional. It's only a problem when the OS insists on recording your private information to let you access your private account.
  - db48x 6mo ago
    It is an optional field, and so far there is no software that asks for this information, let alone insists on it.
  - stevenalowe 6mo ago
    which is the logical next legislative step
stevenalowe 6mo ago
unfortunately the article does not mention who is responsible for the alleged misinformation campaign
- jojomodding 6mo ago
  I doubt it has been top-down coordinated. So what do you expect the article to say?
  - cwillu 6mo ago
    Then “campaign” was not the correct word to describe it. It's like calling any group of people an “organization”.
- tstrimple 6mo ago
  I mean your original comment is an example of the misinformation being spread around.
  - stevenalowe 6mo ago
    How is “they do not have this authority” misinformation?
HackerThemAll 6mo ago
> systemd has had optional fields for those for years and nobody complained. GECOS in 1962, and UNIX in '70s had them as well, and nobody threatened to kill their creators. Having a field in a database is not equal to mandatory data collection. Let me remind of data that /etc/passwd allows to store on even an OS without systemd: - User's full name (or application name, if the account is for a program) - Building and room number or contact person - Office telephone number - Home telephone number - Any other contact information (pager number, fax, external e-mail address, etc.)

marshray 6mo ago

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rasz 6mo ago

> full name, email and location in order to manage your hardware and software, yet systemd has had optional fields for those for years and nobody complained. maybe we should complain

nine_k 6mo ago
Why, it's fine to have these values in a corporate environment: name, work email, office location. I'd be fine with an ability to store the birth date, the blood type, the zodiac sign, actually an arbitrary list of key-value pairs, as long as it's optional. It's only a problem when the OS insists on recording your private information to let you access your private account.
- db48x 6mo ago
  It is an optional field, and so far there is no software that asks for this information, let alone insists on it.
- stevenalowe 6mo ago
  which is the logical next legislative step

stevenalowe 6mo ago

unfortunately the article does not mention who is responsible for the alleged misinformation campaign

jojomodding 6mo ago
I doubt it has been top-down coordinated. So what do you expect the article to say?
- cwillu 6mo ago
  Then “campaign” was not the correct word to describe it. It's like calling any group of people an “organization”.
tstrimple 6mo ago
I mean your original comment is an example of the misinformation being spread around.
- stevenalowe 6mo ago
  How is “they do not have this authority” misinformation?

HackerThemAll 6mo ago

> systemd has had optional fields for those for years and nobody complained. GECOS in 1962, and UNIX in '70s had them as well, and nobody threatened to kill their creators. Having a field in a database is not equal to mandatory data collection. Let me remind of data that /etc/passwd allows to store on even an OS without systemd: - User's full name (or application name, if the account is for a program) - Building and room number or contact person - Office telephone number - Home telephone number - Any other contact information (pager number, fax, external e-mail address, etc.)