[Sparkle] Where to put profiling?

[Uli Kusterer]

Am 23.12.2007 um 19:22  schrieb Andy Matuschak:
>> Is there a way to always have it on by default? I wouldn't confuse  
>> users with this decision, ever. Rather, I'd leave it off or on by  
>> default (depending on what you're sending), and give users that  
>> care about such things the option of turning it off before the  
>> first (or second) check.
>
> Are you asking if it's possible to make the check box in the prompt  
> on by default, or if it's possible to not ask the user for  
> permission at all but to just send the data anyway? The users are  
> being asked, in this case, immediately before the first check. The  
> answer to the first question is certainly; the answer to the second  
> question is undecided in my mind at the moment. At least, I don't  
> know if Sparkle will officially support sending the info without  
> permission; you can always modify the framework.

  Well, all three, in a way. I have some products where system  
information is just a nice thing for me. I have others where it would  
really benefit support if I knew what systems people are running. For  
the latter, I'd like it to be on by default, and I wouldn't want to  
confuse less experienced user by having some scary "transmit system  
information" checkbox that they might think transfers something that's  
personal (not just personalized). For the former, I wouldn't mind too  
much, and might even turn it off by default.

  This is a developer library, so I think we can be more geeky and  
configurable under the hood :-) As long as there's a sensible default.

> Sorry—it's because of the parenthesis at the end there. Here's the  
> image on not-imageshack: http://www.screenshots.cc/view_image/cc9601810/Picture%202.png


  Thanks.

>> What about this: The very first update check transmits no  
>> information. Instead of a "transmit system profile" checkbox, it  
>> has a "Privacy..." button, which pops up information about what is  
>> transmitted as part of this anonymous system profile, and offers to  
>> not send it.
>
> Interesting. So it looks like this? http://www.screenshots.cc/view_image/8b87b1913/Picture%204.png

  Alternatively, you could just put the "Privacy" think as a blue,  
underlined "link" in the text. That's what many people do for a  
"Privacy Policy" in similar situations. OTOH, most people would expect  
that to lead to a web site, not to a place with a checkbox, so maybe  
the button is a better idea.

Cheers,
-- M. Uli Kusterer
"The Witnesses of TeachText are everywhere..."
http://www.zathras.de