This subject is not as simple as it may seem. Some team members are concerned about the fact that Piwigo sends data without warning user (even if they understand that there is no personal data, just server and technical data). If team members feel concerned while they know we are only collecting this data for statistics purpose and nothing else, it is legitimate to consider that people outside Piwigo team will see this as attempt to steal information, sort of.

Just to get an idea of what other web applications were doing, I've investigated on WordPress. When WordPress checks for new core/plugin/theme updates, it sends to wordpress.org : the blog URL, the WordPress version, the PHP version, the MySQL version, the default language, the default theme. And there is no option to deactivate that, as far as I know. You can read very interesting discussions about what is called the "Phone Home" feature: WordPress Phone Home & Privacy. I don't blame WordPress or anything, I think it's interesting to know what is done on one of the best known opensource web applications.

I don't want Piwigo to get any negative feedback due to this feature. So I propose the 2 following changes:

1) on the installation screen, add an option (checked by default) to ask agreement about sending extra technical information

2) on the available plugins page, if the user has not given her agreement/disagreement at installation time (for an upgraded Piwigo)



I think this is a bit aggressive, but I have no other idea for the moment.

What is your opinion?

With this agreement message, I'm sure that the vast majority of users will answer "No, thanks".
I don't understand where the problem is. When you surf on internet, your browser always send OS version, browser name, browser version, accepted languages, etc... It's the user agent. Have you already see an agreement message in Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari asking if you agree to send your technical details to all websites?
I insist again that piwigo will not send user technical details, but hoster technical details (it is what wordpress do).

- the message is not on the right place

Gotcha told me the same thing and I don't agree. The data are sent when performing an http request on piwigo.org/ext/api/get_version_list.php as long as you don't open the "other available plugins" screen, nothing is sent to piwigo.org. (this is also true for available themes/languages)

I don't want this message on the install form. It is far too long. The install form must be kept as simple as possible. But I agree to have this message on the installation result page. But that means the technical data can't be sent during install. In the automatic upgrade page, why not. What about the users who don't use the automatic upgrade? and those who don't use the installation screen for installation (think about installation from Debian package) They would have no message at all.

I agree that your message is better because it's less technical and it means that by default the feature is activated and that users must perform an action to deactivate it.

I keep thinking the right place is on "other available plugins" screen. What about displaying the grum message (slightly modified because data are not sent during gallery install/update) only if the message has never been displayed. And the feature activated by default. That way, users are informed and only those who really don't want to send these data will deactivate it.

Here is what I propose:



The message is displayed only once. If the user doesn't click to deactivate, then it becomes active.

grum wrote:

I'm not sure to understand...
There is no panel to choose to activate or deactivate ? The message is displayed once, and after choice is made for ever ?? o_O;

No specific panel, that's exactly what I say. You have the message displayed only once. If you don't deactivate the feature at this moment, then you will have to edit the local/config/config.inc.php if you want to deactivate it.

grum wrote:

No informations (link) about policie on statistics ?

No, because there is currently no Privacy Policy on piwigo.org and there is no collect of personal data, only technical data about hosting, anonymously.

Do as you want...

plg wrote:

Don't see any evil in this feature, I want to make it perfectly transparent. This collected data will be stored in a database on piwigo.org server.

Please, feel free to post your comment about this feature.

My feelings :
- there is nothing perfectly transparent for the final user
- why opening a public topic on the forum and taking time to give answers if decisions are finally taken outside the forum ?

Next time, I think we can implement any features like this without asking feeling of users/team members.

That's great news! Congratulations!
Sometimes big brothers are helpful (-;