Mozilla considers tracking Firefox browsing habits

Author: Tim Smalley
Published: 20th May 2008
Comments (32) Stumble
Mozilla CEO John Lilly has revealed that the Firefox developer is considering tracking users' browsing habits on a voluntary basis.

Mozilla CEO John Lilly has revealed that the Firefox developer is considering tracking users' browsing habits on a voluntary basis.

The Mozilla Foundation, the organisation behind the Firefox web browser, is considering tracking its users’ browsing habits on a voluntary basis.

Last week, Mozilla’s CEO John Lilly revealed that the organisation was working on a project known internally as ‘Data’ – a project that is said to collect data on users’ browsing habits if they chose to opt into the scheme and provide anonymous usage statistics to anyone who wants the information.

“The key insight is not so much that rich clients or web sites are able to collect information about what people do, but rather that this data is one of the most important pieces to faciliate [sic] understanding (and innovation), and is also one of the most under-explored areas of the modern web,” claims Lilly on his blog.

“There remain worlds of information about how people use the web that are locked up and not currently shared,” he later added.

I’m not sure how you feel about this data being collected and freely distributed to anyone who wants the information, but as recent history suggests, anonymous data isn’t always as anonymous as you’d hope – I’m sure many of you will remember AOL’s “slip up” in 2006.

I can’t help but feel this is more than a little creepy – but somehow others don’t see that side of the coin. Michael Arrington of TechCrunch, for example, claims that this “could be just what the Internet needs” – I’m not so convinced. Share your thoughts in the forums.
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Quote Angleus 20th May 2008, 12:42
No.
Quote Veles 20th May 2008, 12:44
Yeah count me out, if they could keep the data anonymous then maybe because it would actually be quite interesting, but I don't see that happening.
Quote sotu1 20th May 2008, 12:50
i got a lot more faith in mozilla than i do in aol, but still a no. don't know why, just don't like the idea.
Quote bowman 20th May 2008, 13:00
'a project that is said to collect data on users’ browsing habits if they chose to opt into the scheme'

IF THEY CHOOSE TO OPT INTO THE SCHEME.

I'll hold my breath until we know how this pans out, and whether or not he's being truthful.. Or if they'll just be another company abusing the market share of their new software by collecting user statistics whether they want it or not.

They have this market share due to the browser being perceived as safer and more trustworthy than IE. IE already stole all the user-friendly features, so it's all they have left. If they squander that by bundling what amounts to malware in my eyes with the browser.. That share will plummet. I sure hope they don't go down this road.
Quote naokaji 20th May 2008, 13:03
If you opt-in then its a feature to enhance your experience, or dont opt-in, then its a oops if they get caught doing it anyway...
Quote g3n3tiX 20th May 2008, 13:04
I hope we will NOT be giving this info by default, otherwise lots of people will just click "opt in" because there is the word "recommended" next to it.
Quote steveo_mcg 20th May 2008, 13:34
It is foss, you could always patch it and compile it your self not to include this. I agree with the sentiment though, count me out.
Quote Delphium 20th May 2008, 13:44
DO NOT WANT!
Quote Firehed 20th May 2008, 13:50
If it's opt-in, then by all means. Not that I would opt-in.
Quote Freedom 20th May 2008, 13:58
I can see certain people being very childish over this and shout me not want. But as long as it's op-in I don't see why they shouldn't include it in there program. I must say i wouldn't opt in myself though. As they've said it would run anonymously.
Quote Shielder 20th May 2008, 13:59
From what is being said on the Mozillazine.org forums, it looks like this may be "opt-in" via an add-on. So you've got to add the functionality in before any data is sent to Mozilla.

IMO it is a bad idea anyway, and I'll not be using FF or Thunderbird if this goes ahead, opt-in or not. The major problem that Mozilla have here is that this is being seen as Spyware, and that is generally seen as a very bad thing, no matter who has written it.

Andy
Quote DXR_13KE 20th May 2008, 14:14
put on your tin hats people!! it is optional!

as for me, i will chose to help out.
Quote Javerh 20th May 2008, 14:58
So they just figured out what demo-testing means? But they don't want to pay for it.
Quote cpemma 20th May 2008, 15:00
Quote:
Originally Posted by DXR_13KE
put on your tin hats people!! it is optional!

as for me, i will chose to help out.
The first person to actually show practical support for OSS.

99.999% of OSS users are just free-loaders.
Quote Firehed 20th May 2008, 15:09
Well that's a hazard of creating OSS, cpemma. I've certainly made no contributions back to the Wordpress codebase despite using it, nor PHPBB back when I was running a forum. Certainly not Firefox, though I'm not a desktop developer. There was a web snippet for geo-location that I did make the author aware of a bug and respective fix, though from what I've seen it wasn't implemented (except in my own code, but that's not my problem).
Quote steveo_mcg 20th May 2008, 15:13
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpemma
The first person to actually show practical support for OSS.

99.999% of OSS users are just free-loaders.

I don't think thats fair, there is a lot of value in just running software and submitting bug reports when they arise. Not every one can be a developer, besides that Mozilla is making a small fortune from the ad revenue from google just for having the search bar in the top.

Given the volume of software which is pirated or used as freeware most computer users are free-loaders
Quote freedom810 20th May 2008, 15:19
Ye its optional, so no-one will care....count me out.
Quote Glider 20th May 2008, 15:33
I'd opt in... I actually like to let developers know that I spend the average 0.2 seconds on fugly flash sites...
Quote Shielder 20th May 2008, 15:50
Do I take it that you like having a libel action taken against you cpemma?

I use OSS, and I support it wherever I can, yes, even paying (via my employer) for OSS instead of using the free version on the net. So labelling OSS users as free-loaders is not a good idea.

Oh, and this post is slightly tongue in cheek :)

Andy
Quote DriftCarl 20th May 2008, 15:54
as long as they do stuff like this as opt-in then they can do as many of these things as they like, the minute they start doing opt out stuff, then I might just have to see what other browsers are out there.
Quote p3n 20th May 2008, 16:37
Don't know whether i'd bother, but the very option to not upload your habbits make any stats they retrieve rather incomplete for any form of 'user base' results
Quote EmJay 20th May 2008, 17:39
As long as it's opt-in and truly anonymous, this sounds interesting. There's relatively little information out there about how people really use the interwebs, I for one would be curious to know more about it. The sample data may be incomplete or skewed because it's not a random sample, but it'd still be way more useful than nothing. </academic geek>

That said, I'm not sure if I'd want to opt in. Hm. Better think about that.
Quote Akava 20th May 2008, 17:41
The idea is great in theory, but as with many other, i will be opting out for now at least.
Quote Da Dego 20th May 2008, 19:37
If it's opt-IN instead of opt-OUT, I'll be quite impressed. I'll also participate. I don't mind if people want a look, so long as I know they're looking and the cause is validly informational. Part of sharing is giving back - if they share the software with me, I can share some of how I use it with them.

As long as it's a system where I can say "Nah, I decided I don't like what you're doing," I'm more than happy to be a part. It's the sneaky stuff I have problems with, or the feeling that I can't say 'no.'
Quote proxess 20th May 2008, 19:47
i'll probably opt in.
Quote Jordan Wise 20th May 2008, 20:02
i don't see why so many people are scared of others knowing what their up to. Whats the worst that can happen? They see us visiting computer sites like bit tech every day and then- OH NO THE INTERNET KNOWS I'M A GEEK!
Quote C-Sniper 20th May 2008, 21:22
Well if you want to give back using firefox, just use thier google search, google pays them everytime they do that.
If it was an opt-in i wouldn't mind, hell, even if it was an opt-out i wouldn't mind. Just as long as it wasn't a requirement.
Quote felix the cat 20th May 2008, 21:45
i dont know why people are so against this, its an option to help the community, all those that say no without giving a reason, are you guys like user 7******** from the aol screw up who was searching for lolitas or photos of dead people?

Its an opt in, it'll never be a requirement because some people are soo paranoid they'd probably just use ie instead (yes i'm looking at some of the people who've probably already posted saying hell no to the idea!)

Personally i dont really have a problem with it, i trust mozilla where i dont trust microsoft with their sneaky monitoring programs in vista etc, i would trust mozilla to launch it effectively with no privacy violations and to work effectively as a tool for the exact purposes that they have outlined, have some faith people, mozilla is probably the worlds favourite browser (note: even if it isnt the most widely used :P)

peace

fatman (on the cats account....woops)
Quote Muunsyr 21st May 2008, 01:01
My guess is they are more likely to track how you go about using FF, not so much what websites you visit. That is, they would want to know if you use the bookmarks tool bar, or just the menu? What percentage of users use <Ctrl + L> to get to the address bar? Etc, etc.

Assuming it is opt-in as discussed, I have no qualms about helping out.
Quote BurningFeetMan 21st May 2008, 07:25
Haha, tracking online surfing habits? Well let me see, how many mainstream free porno sites are there? Multiply by the entire population of the internet (we all know there are no women on the net) and you've got yourself some pretty interesting surfing habits and statistics. Sure, you can call it "Data". Go nuts.

Kk, back to pr0n. :o
Quote Jordan Wise 21st May 2008, 07:41
Quote:
Originally Posted by BurningFeetMan
(we all know there are no women on the net)

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_45/272-OMG-Girlz-Don-t-Exist-on-teh-Intarweb-1

give that a read, it's hilarious
Quote LeMaltor 21st May 2008, 12:05
Bit-Tech, eve and porn, why do they want to know anyway?
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