[Nottingham] Ubuntu + Amazon
Paul Sladen
notlug at paul.sladen.org
Wed Dec 12 08:32:52 UTC 2012
On Tue, 11 Dec 2012, Martin wrote:
> I see it far worse than that...
> It is a deliberately installed
Concur, the 'unity-shopping-lens' is deliberately installed.
> Trojan that
bzr branch lp:unity-lens-shopping
and please tell me where the [alleged] Trojan is.
> reports your activities
The 'unity-shopping-lens' submits search queries to...
> to unknown
...to a known endpoint...
> 3rd parties.
...at ('unity-shopping-lens/src/scope.vala':26), which is:
https://productsearch.ubuntu.com
and clicking on this link gives an API description and example.
> If you /are/ a shopping junkie,
Sometimes I'm an Ebay junkie; perhaps somebody will make an Ebay
lense that is optimised for sniping without needing to fire out a
web-browser.
> then it /might/ be in some way helpful.
Ubuntu installs a couple of gigabytes of Free Software on the basis
that it 'might be useful'. Not all features of all programs will be
useful for /everyone/ /all the time/; hopefully the initial set and
default working configurations, plus what is accessible via the
Software Centre, are a good match for potential Free Software users
might like, and what fits on a CD-ROM.
> However, bleeding out details of your every keyboard and mouse action
> is oh so wide open to abuse, or just simple embarrassment,
Yes, like the semi-canned Communications Data Bill today, bleeding out
every mouse action would be undesirable.
-Paul
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