This is not a criticism I’m just curious but I was wondering why do we have a Facebook Like button on the site,
Graeme
When the forum first moved from linux.co.uk to this URL the Facebook/G+ “like” buttons were requested by a number of users … IIRC Mad Penguin was against it at first but it kept coming up so he gave in and added them.
Since then people have bitched about the tracking … seems he can’t win :
I’m not bitching but it makes me wonder if these users who requested it were aware it is a tracking device and why they would want to be tracked, I actually remember when the decision was made and I didn’t have an opinion at that time but that’s only because I didn’t know it was a tracking device then
Maybe an informed vote would have been appropriate
Graeme
OK, vote away.
If enough people dislike them I’ll approach MP about disabling/removing them.
The google analytics tracking would stay … that’s useful for tracking trends such as what people are searching for, then I can do a tutorial if I think it’s warranted.
I can assure you non of the tracking from this site is for commercial or any other nefarious purpose … just either what was requested, or what’s good for the site and its users
That said, wouldn’t it be just as easy to use a tracking blocker such as ghostery ?
(I suppose that way everyone can be happy ?)
I can assure you non of the tracking from this site is for commercial or any other nefarious purpose .. just either what was requested, or what's good for the site and its users :)
Please don’t misunderstand me I’m not suggesting it is, I just don’t like Facebook, I don’t have a Facebook account and even if i did I see no reason why they should know what websites I visit
OK, vote away.
OK I vote to have it removed
Graeme
You do know something like ghostery will block the tracking anyway (for ALL sites you visit … or not if you choose) ?
and will give you more control than you’re ever going to get petitioning every website you use to remove the buttons for all of their users (including the people that want them) 
Just sayin ;D
Hmm… I did not realise that there were social media buttons on this forum, that is until I switched off Adblock+ in FF.
Did I missed them, hell NO. :
and will give you more control than you're ever going to get petitioning every website you use to remove the buttons for all of their users (including the people that want them) ;)
Yeah that’s a fair point but Facebook is a data mining company and this is a community website where members visit regularly don’t you think privacy should come as standard, why should i have to install software on my computer to protect myself from a community website I’m a member of, I know I can’t ask every website I visit to remove the like button ghostery would be fine for that but I don’t think it should be necessary on this site, that’s all I mean
If the majority of users want it I’m ok with that I’m not trying to start an argument it’s just something that’s been on my mind for a while
probably best left as is
Graeme
The pro facebookers would say why should they do without to suit you, it’s easy for you to remove tracking, but impossible for them to add the buttons back (AFAIK).
And to a certain degree (like it or not) I’d have to admit they have a point…
I’m not disagreeing with you, I find it a pain too but that’s the way the web is now. If you want privacy you’re going to have to be proactive … this site removing the buttons is not going to protect you very much on its own now is it
The pro facebookers would say why should they do without to suit you, it's easy for you to remove tracking, but impossible for them to add the buttons back (AFAIK).
I can’t argue with that I suppose I was just talking from a point of principle that’s all
But to counter that argument beside the like button there’s a box with a number inside I assume the number represents the number of times that particular post has been “Liked” and I’ve been searching through the site for the past hour or so and can’t find any number higher that zero now bearing in mind there’s been almost 35000 posts made on the site I would have thought I might have found at least one but maybe I’m just looking at the wrong posts
Anyway I suppose it’s up the individual to protect their own privacy so on that note I’ll concede defeat
Graeme
As I said, I don’t disagree with you … my vote also goes for “remove them”, particularly as you suggest I haven’t seen them used and IIRC the people who were vocal about having them in the first place no longer frequent the forum … just saying I can see it from both sides.
I use ghostery as a mater of course, as I came to the conclusion ages ago that my privacy is MY responsibility … and fighting the Facebookers of this world is futile
[EDIT]
As a point of interest this is one of the few sites I’ve whitelisted in ghostery … I have no problem with the world and his dog knowing I frequent this website and support Linux wherever I can, in fact it’s one of the few things I WANT them to know about me (but that’s a choice I make)
I use ghostery as a mater of course, as I came to the conclusion ages ago that my privacy is MY responsibility.
I’ve never heard of ghostery but I’m gonna have a look at it now you’ve mentioned it, the “Like” button on here is probably the least of my worries when it comes to privacy online, but I the think the Linux community in general have traditionally put privacy and security on a higher priority than most other computer users which is also why I don’t think the “Like” buttons belongs on a Linux community website especially if nobody’s using it
Anyway I’m off to watch more Stallman videos
Graeme
Never heard of Ghostery either.
from a very quick Google it seems to be browser specific.
Is it in the repos…?..
Jocklad
No, it’s a browser plugin
Chrome/Chromium:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ghostery/mlomiejdfkolichcflejclcbmpeaniij?hl=en
Firefox/Iceweasel:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ghostery/
Homepage:
https://www.ghostery.com/en-GB/
There are also versions for Opera and Safari:
https://www.ghostery.com/en-GB/download
[EDIT]
I must add I’ve only tried the Firefox version.
Thanks Mark.
Will have a closer look at it.
Jocklad :-\
Never heard of Ghostery either.
I use DoNotTrackMe and MaskMe in Chrome.
I’m not sure that’s true, particularly where website hosting and content is concerned… traditionally Linux users have been more AWARE of privacy issues, so better placed to respond to them … but I don’t think they necessarily see it as a crusade any more than anyone else, not every Linux user is a Stallmanite, in fact a “devils advocate” could say that historically they’re the ones looking after the servers and websites that are tracking you :o
True story, I know Facebook & Google both run on Linux-based servers…
Not surprising really, would you trust webservers receiving as much traffic & data as they do, to run on anything else?? 
As for my opinion, I think privacy is dead anyway (Tor, the last bastion, has been compromised now, thanks to the Russians). I’m not pro-Facebook, but they only mine what data is provided to them. Thus, I am very selective about the data I give them. I didn’t know about this Like button - now I know, I will click it
Here’s why I have a big problem with data mining, a few years ago I had a cheque book stolen and when I realised I reported it to the Police and the bank, fortunately I did so before the bank authorised any cheques, however the criminal who stole the book sold it on to someone else who managed to pass on cheques to some local firms to the total value of around £3000 including a company who uses Transax
Transax are a data mining company presenting themselves as a credit checking company, They covertly collect data about anyone they can and sell that information to their customers who think the data is reliable
So when a company used Transax to authorise one of my stolen cheques Transax had no idea it was a stolen cheque because they don’t have a reliable data source their data is basically based on guesswork and heresay through covert data mining, so the cheque bounced and Transax had to cover the cost because they authorised it
Consequently Transax blacklisted me but didn’t bother to tell me, I didn’t find out untill one day a supplier refused to accept one my cheques because it was declined by Transax, so I called Transax who told me they were declining my cheques because I had a chequebook stolen but I could get the blacklist lifted If I gave them bank information and some other details
That was 9 years ago and to this day I have point blank refused to give them what they want because if I did I would be legitimizing what they were doing, it has done a lot of damage to my business and my reputation because Transax don’t tell their customers why they decline cheques they just do with a code number (Code 42 in my case) which means the payee is left to guess why the cheque is declined (no prizes for guessing their conclusion)
So that’s why I believe covert data mining is immoral and should be made illegal and we should discourage it any way we can
As far as the “Like” button is concerned I know it wouldn’t protect our privacy much if we removed it but we’d be making a statement
Sorry for the long post I could have wrote a 10 page epic on what Transax has put me through but I made it as short as I could
Graeme