Comments on: Ubuntu Smart Scopes

By: icewater

icewater — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 04:14:55 +0000

“lifestyle brand”. Oh boy…

So Canonical wants to become Apple, you say?

By: Patrick

Patrick — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:17:08 +0000

Pure garbage, Canonical. You sold out our privacy for profit. It would have been better to ask users for a nominal price to purchase Ubuntu OS. This trend of usurped privacy, data collections and push notifications from software developers is spirialing out of control and, quite frankly, I’m tired of it. I choose Ubuntu years ago because they were “not” likely their competitors in this. Now, you’ve disappointed myself and many others. Poor choice, Canonical.

By: John

John — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:50:44 +0000

Yeah. The problem is it doesn’t matter what they say about privacy and data collection, if the software is closed we can’t know for sure what is really going on. I never thought they could do this, but it seems Canonical turned the Amazongate into something even worse.

Open its source and we may talk about it.

And I don’t Google, I use DuckDuckGo or StartPage, so no, this won’t be more private and secure to me.

By: Ken Kinder

Ken Kinder — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 20:13:43 +0000

I think the consternation is more that, for better or worse, Ubuntu has become the standard-bearer for the Linux desktop. It’s invariably what geeks have told their friends to try, if they want to experience Linux without a lot of hassle. Now that Canonical is treading water not even Microsoft or Apple dare — putting advertising right in the heart of the GUI — we all kind of look like asses because we have to say, “oh, no, we don’t recommend Ubuntu anymore. It broadcasts your keystrokes in your app launcher and uses those to serve you ads.”

And then we’re supposed to say with a straight face that part of the beauty of Linux is all that freedom and Open Sourcy user control type stuff?

Ubuntu has more or less gone from being the defacto default Linux desktop to the black sheep, and rightfully so.

By: Neil Broadley

Neil Broadley — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:01:40 +0000

I think you’re right, Jef, that they believe that this is the “I trust you” moment, but I believe that’s utterly wrong, on many levels – transparency, privacy, trust to name a few.

To clarify, I have expectations about Ubuntu formed from 6 years of experience. But when 12.10 came out, and without making it clear anywhere during the install or upgrade, they have assumed my trust.

I’d likely give it (if they asked), but they assume it, and that’s wrong. And they’re still assuming it. And they refuse to NOT assume it, which is bold, but also in my opinion, very wrong.

By: Neil Broadley

Neil Broadley — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 13:03:03 +0000

My point, Michael, is that I’d actually like transparency in this process so that I can GIVE YOU permission to NOT HAVE TO GUESS. In other words, you would know that concurrent searches are from me, and in fact, you’d have a history of everything I searched for AND a profile of what apps I use most.

But instead Canonical are sneaking these features in, then Stallman and others are having a fit, because it’s not transparent.

I doesn’t matter that you provide an off switch. For most, the damage will already have been done – they’ll feel their trust has been abused and that will undermine everything you do with this amazing technology.

By: Fabio Rosa

Fabio Rosa — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 01:37:10 +0000

I do agree that, if you want to use smart scopes, the feedback is mandatory, there is no problem on that.
The problem is: Smart Scopes _WILL_ send information to the outside …. So, it just makes sense to ask me _IF_ I want smart scopes , or if I just want Local scopes.. The same way yo already ask if I wanna install the mp3 codecs and other non-free software…
Its the same class of problems…
Warn for non-free software installation…
Warn for sending information to your servers.
Its only a checkbox, you can let it already checked (as you already do with mp3 codecs)… and most people will not notice..
But, the ones that are sensible to those kind of things, can take action during installation.
Its about sending a message:
“See, we built this for you, and its great, but, we need some info from your computer for that. Do you agree?”
_Everybody_ gets happy … with a single checkbox … !
Im pretty sure that there are people out there that wants Raring not because of Smart Scopes, but, for everything else that makes Ubuntu an amazing distro…
Show you care about other people privacy concerns …
Im pretty sure you _DO_ care… I do trust canonical .. But, there are people waaayy more sensible to those things out there…
Its all about sending the message …
And, you are sending the wrong message…

By: Ubuntu Smart Scopes: La búsqueda inteligente llega al Dash de Unity

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By: Alan Bell

Alan Bell — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 23:23:51 +0000

I did get it right, it isn’t an EULA. I said that. We don’t do EULAs because it is a license to copy the software, not a license to use it. My point was we don’t bombard the user with pointless clickthrough legalese and caveats.

By: Zygmunt Krynicki

Zygmunt Krynicki — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 23:17:10 +0000

The GPL is not an EULA. You don’t have to agree to it to use any software. Please get this right.