Thoughts on advertisements in Ubuntu 12.10

[txwikinger]

Just got one clarifications from the Kubuntu developers, the feature 
does not touch any
part of kubuntu, so Russel, you can still recommend Kubuntu ;-)

On 12-09-24 11:45 AM, txwikinger wrote:
> As long as there is transparency and proper notice, I have no problem if
> informed consumers make a for them beneficial decision.
>
> However, I starting to become worried how transparent and how well
> informed this whole issue seem to be.
>
> Reading the blog and some announcement in one of the ubuntu online
> publications, it seemed to me to be a matter of presentation, i.e. the 
> first
> time advertisements are delivered *to* the ubuntu desktop.
>
> This thread here seems to put the whole issue upside down, which concerns
> me far more, that there is information flowing *from* the ubuntu desktop
> to not real defined entities. This concerns me tremendously, not because
> of conspiracy, but because of free and informed decision making in regard
> of my personal data, its protecting and its legality in different 
> jurisdictions. Many
> of us know about the "cookie"-directive in the EU that makes it 
> illegal just to show
> facebook-like, google-+1, etc buttons on a website without prior user 
> consent.
>
> Hence my questions are:
>
> 1) What exact data flows away from the ubuntu desktop?
> 2) Where does it flow to?
> 3) How is the data protected according to the relevant laws?
> 4) Are the users well informed about this (Apparently I am not!)?
> 5) Is there an opt-in?
>
> I believe, in the understanding of in particular EU law, but probably 
> also other
> privacy law like in Canada, et. al., opt-out may very likely not be 
> sufficient for such
> an intrusion of privacy. Hence, users need to be well informed about 
> the nature and
> destination of the data transmitted, as well as giving prior consent 
> to it if they choose
> to do so.
>
> However, I am after this thread very confused who would even need to 
> be concerned.
> Only people installing the shopping lens (Are there any package 
> dependency implicitly
> installing it? Is it default?), or everybody who uses unity, or has 
> unity installed? Or everybody
> who uses any flavour  of Ubuntu system.
>
> I really care less about if Canonical is paid for it or not, I am far 
> more concerned about how well
> users are informed, and just judging myself at this moment, I have to 
> say, the level of knowledge
> is very disconcerting!
>
> Ralph
>
> On 12-09-24 11:01 AM, Darcy Casselman wrote:
>> I admit, this whole thing has me perplexed.
>>
>> I mean, I'm still rolling my eyes at all the conspiracy theorists.
>> Guys, c'mon.
>>
>> What has me scratching my head, though, is what's the point of this?
>> What use case is it meant to solve?
>>
>> I kinda get that they want the Dash to be an omni-search thing, with
>> lenses for various searches.  So I can see creating a "shopping" lens,
>> what value is there to exposing the results on the Home lens? Is it
>> really any more useful to show a Kindle Fire in my Home lens than a
>> Bruce Springstein Youtube video when just I'm trying to launch
>> Firefox?
>>
>> I think I'd be happier if they *were* making money off of it. That,
>> at least, would make sense.
>>
>> Darcy.
>>
>> On Mon, Sep 24, 2012 at 9:14 AM, Russell McOrmond
>> <russellmcormond at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Here is my translation of Shutgleworth's blog:  we (cannonical) aren't
>>> making money on the for-pay search results, so therefore it isn't an
>>> advertisement.
>>>
>>> While us techies can turn this foreign-search off, less technical users
>>> won't know how.  This makes Ubuntu no longer what I can in good 
>>> conscience
>>> recommend to less technical users.  It is commercial advertising, 
>>> whether
>>> cannonical is making money or not. Who is making the money doesn't 
>>> change
>>> that they are ads.
>>>
>>> -- 
>>> Sent from my Google NexusOne. http://flora.ca
>>>
>>> On Sep 23, 2012 11:53 PM, "Stephen M. Webb" <stephen at ubuntu.com> wrote:
>>>> On 09/23/2012 02:52 PM, Michael Stathers wrote:
>>>>> http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/1182
>>>>>
>>>>> This worries me. Your thoughts?
>>>> What are your worries?
>>>>
>>>> You titled this email "Thoughts on advertisements in Ubuntu 12.10" but
>>>> gave a link to Shuttleworth's blog in which he
>>>> says up front "We’re not putting ads in Ubuntu."  Do you have a better
>>>> source on what's coming in Ubuntu 12.10 than
>>>> Mark Shuttleworth, and can you give that link, too?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -- 
>>>> Stephen M. Webb  <stephen at ubuntu.com>
>>>> https://launchpad.net/~bregma
>>>>
>>>> -- 
>>>> ubuntu-ca mailing list
>>>> ubuntu-ca at lists.ubuntu.com
>>>> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-ca
>>>
>>> -- 
>>> ubuntu-ca mailing list
>>> ubuntu-ca at lists.ubuntu.com
>>> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-ca
>>>
>
>