Privacy group damns Ubuntu's Amazon search marriage Privacy activists have taken Canonical to task for exposing users' web searches and searches of their local hard drives to sites such as Amazon, Facebook and the BBC. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has called Canonical's integration of the Ubuntu 12.10 Dash search feature with results from Amazon "a major privacy problem …
I started with Linux using Mandrake but with the very first release of Ubuntu soon after I switched to that and remained there for many years, until I left just before the arrival of Unity.
I remember why I used it, because of 'Ubuntu', or humanity. Sad to see it has gone so far from its roots and is now in fact actively spying on its users and taking away their choices, some of the very reasons I distrusted and left Microsoft in the first place, although I'm not sure that even Microsoft have gone to that extent of spying.
I was going to quote Nietzsche, ah feck here it is anyway.. "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you" but I'm not quite sure it's fully apt - this is more like pure stupidity, greed, stupidity, short-term thinking and money grabbing on the part of Shuttleworth and Co.
I'd be quite happy to pay over money to use an o/s and in fact I have donated to Ubuntu many times, but to spy on me my default goes far beyond the boundaries of what is acceptable. Has Shuttleworth become another 'emperor' surrounded by yes-men who field away any criticisms?
It'll be interesting to see how this pans out, but all of the systems I maintain for friends and family have gone to Mint for a long time now and most certainly will never be returning if this sort of thing carrys on.
Yup, I don't mind them using referrals to make a buck although I'm not sure what Amazon are going to make of the data they recieve.
Software Centre or a separate 'shop' would be the best place for this, not least because of the slow typist/slow internet issue... I did try a 12.10 install and lasted a few hours before using the kill switch in system settings.
It seems to me that 50% of all searches that these vendors will get access to will be something like "disable amazon in ubuntu searches"
Here is my thinking.
One search for "ubuntu install PACKAGENAME" or "ubuntu configure FEATURE"
Some profanity.
One search for "disable amazon in ubuntu searches"
No more results.
Annoying, but hardly the end of the world.
Trying to out tablet-os Apple, Google and Microsoft. Tile interfaces are for teenagers looking to "consume multimedia content", not for adults who have to get actual work done throughout the day. As for the privacy issues, invasive schlockware for Linux was actually long overdue. It figures that we'd see it first from Ubuntu, because they're the most prone to "Windows envy". Of course I never really thought much of the "Linux for the masses" thing. Most people actually don't have a clue what to do even with the limited computing power in their smartphone or media tablet. I've come to the conclusion that they must really like the flashing lights and shiney widgets that only ask that they "click and swipe". I use RHEL at work because that's how we deliver the power of a few thousand servers to the business. I use RHEL clones at home because they're rock solid stable and don't turn the world upside down every few weeks. If everyone else wants to continue running the Windows treadmill, they're welcome to it. If Ubuntu wants to morph into Windows with a Linux Kernel that's their business.
I think Ubuntu follow Apple closer than Windows. E.g. disappearing scroll bars, one menu bar for the focused app (completely messing up mouseover focus) etc.
They should have followed Apple or Microsoft a little closer though. Apple do ask if you want to integrate with FB etc. but they don't do it on the sly. I'm pretty sure Microsoft would not try to pull a fast stunt like this either. Completely insane.
Yes people do indeed like the flashing lights and things that work as if they were real physical things. There are several million years of evolution behind our 'intuitive' understanding of physical things. A vast proportion of our brains are dedicated to visual processing. Why not use it to help the user feel comfortable that they understand what they are doing? The processing power for good graphics is there now we don't have to present people with a CLI unless they need to do something linguistic in nature.
I'm an 'RPM hater' (for over 10 years now I've avoided any system that uses them) so couldn't possibly comment on RHEL/CentOS etc. But I feel confident in saying that there are better alternatives for the Ubuntu refugee.
"'m an 'RPM hater' (for over 10 years now I've avoided any system that uses them) so couldn't possibly comment on RHEL/CentOS etc. But I feel confident in saying that there are better alternatives for the Ubuntu refugee."
Debian. It's what Ubuntu is based on. And I'm with you on RPMs.
AFAIK, a lot of Ubuntu work is done in the UK. UK uses the EU approach to data protection, which means that this distro is automatically in violation on two major points (note, IANAL but fairly well up on most of these laws):
1 - any data sharing must be opt IN. Defaulting to share with all and sundry is non-compliant
2 - data sharing permission must be given EXPLICITLY. This means that a separate statement, with details of the data sharing must be provided and agreed to. IMPLICIT obtaining of permission by embedding it in a contract printed in light grey 6 point characters on a white background is not acceptable under Data Protection laws.
Now, I've stopped using Ubuntu a long time ago so I cannot file a complaint in good conscience - but any of you who do can. And you should. This sort of creeping and creepy exposure will otherwise continue.
If they want to monetise Ubuntu, that's their choice. But not by breaking the law. Time to face the music IMHO, if you live anywhere near Europe you damn well know what the law says by now, it's not like it's not very easy to find out. I know that Google and Facebook presently get away with minuscule fines, but that too will change.
That would have been in the days when Firefox was a decent browser and not a buggy bloated browser, a pointless OS and a pathetic app store.
It's the curse of FOSS - very few people want to get what's already there working well when there are exciting roadmaps of developments five years down the line to wank^H^H^Hork on.
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