Ubuntu hardware trends

[Ralf Mardorf]

On Sun, 22 Dec 2019 07:03:28 +0300, Andrey Ponomarenko wrote:
>Seems you don't understand the purpose and results of the project.
>
>In general terms, hw-probe just collects hwinfo output in the public
>GitHub repository (after removing all private strings from it).

Hi,

I already mentioned my concerns regarding usefulness of that
statistics, [1], [2].

You probably misunderstood Jared's concerns.

He probably assumes good faith, too. However, there is nothing such as
removing private strings, when doing data mining. The combination of the
collected data, e.g. what mobo, hard disk and screen resolution a woman
is using, might already be enough, to know without doubts, that she will
become pregnant next week, while she even doesn't know it herself.

Collected data could be used in good faith, but it also could be
misused, even if the original intention is without anything evil in
mind.

Jared's dilemma is, that he has got to put on the moderators head, even
when assuming good faith. He can't know what happens with the collected
data, that is available for _everyone_.

If Canonical should collect data in good faith, in a similar way, too,
Canonical probably just provides the statistics, but not the raw data.

If you would provide the statistics, without the raw data, it anyway is
less trustworthily, then when it should be done by Canonical. I already
would be careful with providing Canonical unselected data and if we
users provide selected data only to Canonical, you or anybody else, then
the statistics tends to be less useful for the particular purpose (not
useless for misuse), then it anyway already is.

Regards,
Ralf

[1]
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel-discuss/2019-December/018542.html
[2]
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel-discuss/2019-December/018543.html