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Re: [LUG] Ubuntu user?

 

On 18 February 2013 22:05, Ray Smith <rjsmith@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> I just read through the EFF article and from what they say, the main problem
> is the default setting being opted in. You can disable Amazon. You can
> disable online search. You can set it to just search local files.
> Blimey, if they explain how to do it in the article, even pointing out that
> people in the EFF use Ubuntu themselves then I don't see what the fuss is
> about.

I do, but this might be a marmite thing.

That EFF article is quite odd. Consider this quote from Mark Shuttleworth;

"We are not telling Amazon what you are searching for. Your anonymity
is preserved because we handle the query on your behalf. Don’t trust
us? Erm, we have root. You do trust us with your data already. You
trust us not to screw up on your machine with every update. You trust
Debian, and you trust a large swathe of the open source community. And
most importantly, you trust us to address it when, being human, we
err."

Why would Canonical have my data or root to my machine? Debian's
earned that trust over a much longer period without chasing headlines.
The two distros are chalk and cheese. Ubuntu is innovation-led, Debian
is "Do what you do well". Debian has sometimes frustrating levels of
rigidity about free, open source software. Ubuntu experiments with new
things, some of which don't work well. Comparing the two is, well,
odd...

As persuasive arguements go, this quote is pretty bonkers. It makes me
wonder if they are paddling in reality. If I was still using Ubuntu I
would be very concerned about exactly what horse I'd hitched my wagon
to.  Ubuntu has a large user base, they have done things well in the
past and undeniably have increased the linux userbase but... What if
Microsoft was doing this in Windows? What if Microsoft was trying to
guilt trip you into using sponsored search engines that generated
revenue? (Mint - IE does default to Bing, but it doesn't make it
difficult to change)  I think Ubuntu has crossed a line.

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