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Canonical explain the new Ubuntu census package

Posted by Scott_Ruecker on · 12 comments
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Canonical developer Rick Spencer has blogged about the recent discovery of a canonical-census package in the Ubuntu repositories. Although initial speculation suggested Canonical was tracking the users of pre-installed systems with Ubuntu, Spencer points out that the idea of the census package is actually to count the number of OEM installed Ubuntu system without identifying the users of those systems.

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Comments (12)

tracyanne ·
I have thought for a long time that somthing like this is a good idea. We really do need a better idea of how many Linux powered machines there are out there. This will gives us some idea, at least, of how many Ubuntu powered machines, from this particular system builder, that are still running Ubuntu. What it won't tell us, though,is whether those machines were re purposed as other Linux machines.
jdixon ·
> I have thought for a long time that somthing like this is a good idea.

As long as it's voluntary, yes. It shouldn't be installed by default though. The user should be asked first.
tracyanne ·
I believe it can be uninstalled with a simple apt-get remove, or by unchecking it in synaptic.. But it will be installed, at least on this OEM's computers, by default.
jdixon ·
> ...But it will be installed, at least on this OEM's computers, by default.

As the OEM, you're acting as the agent for the user (admittedly in advance), so that's OK. And since it's undoubtedly a package, I'm sure it can be easily removed.
azerthoth ·
ah, so the regenerating flash cookies are OK too now that people know about them?
Scott_Ruecker Story submitter ·
You are on the Internet..you are being watched, informed, tracked, entertained, cataloged..shall I continue? ;-)
gus3 ·
It's the mark of the Beast!

Oh, wait, this is the Internet...

It's the mark of the Breast!
tracyanne ·
So is the mark of the beast "http" or is it "@", as no one, it seems, can communicate without the "@".
jdixon ·
> ...so the regenerating flash cookies are OK too now that people know about them?

Did they ask first? I'm pretty sure the answer to that is no. And most people still don't know about them.
Steven_Rosenber ·
Quoting:You are on the Internet..you are being watched, informed, tracked, entertained, cataloged..shall I continue? ;-)


Giving users the anonymity they want and need is something I hope happens more and more in the near future, and I really think that Linux and BSD should lead the way in providing easier and more complete ways for users to retain their privacy.
Scott_Ruecker Story submitter ·
I hope your right Steve, but I don't see my words being untrue for a long time..:-(
azerthoth ·
As time goes by Scott I see them more true than now, and now is scary enough.

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