[theme-reviewers] tracking code in themes

[Emil Uzelac]

Something like this maybe? Note: API calls, e.g. Google Libraries, are
acceptable.
http://code.google.com/apis/libraries/

On Thu, Mar 8, 2012 at 2:32 PM, Chip Bennett <chip at chipbennett.net> wrote:

> That was attempted to be covered by:
>
> Note: API calls, e.g. GoogleFonts, are acceptable.
>
>
> Any wordsmithing/improvement needed? The intent is NOT to prevent
> legitimate calls to third-party resources.
>
> Chip
>
>
> On Thu, Mar 8, 2012 at 2:30 PM, Emil Uzelac <emil at themeid.com> wrote:
>
>> So no more Google or MS JS libs either correct?
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Mar 8, 2012 at 2:17 PM, Chip Bennett <chip at chipbennett.net>wrote:
>>
>>> Roughed-in Privacy guidelines:
>>> http://codex.wordpress.org/Theme_Review#Privacy
>>>
>>> These privacy guidelines are adapted from the Plugin guidelines
>>> regarding "phoning home". Please comment so we can revise/improve, as
>>> necessary.
>>>
>>> I've renamed "Theme Settings and Data Security" as "Security and
>>> Privacy", with "Theme Settings and Data Security" and "Privacy" being
>>> sub-sections under this guideline.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Chip
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, Mar 8, 2012 at 1:53 PM, Chip Bennett <chip at chipbennett.net>wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Thu, Mar 8, 2012 at 1:38 PM, Trent Lapinski <trent at cyberchimps.com>wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Woh.
>>>>>
>>>>> It is truly a shame you guys have already made the decision to
>>>>> restrict PressTrends use from WordPress.org without any discussion, or
>>>>> reason.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Nothing is being restricted. You are free to use PressTrends in your
>>>> WPORG repository-hosted Theme. We're merely stipulating that you have to
>>>> *disclose* to end users that the Theme is using this service, and that you
>>>> have to allow end users to *opt-in* to use of this service.
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> There is absolutely nothing wrong with knowing how many people are
>>>>> using your themes, and what version numbers they are using. In fact, I wish
>>>>> WordPress.org itself provided this kind of data publicly.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I refer you to Free Software philosophy<http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html>
>>>>  [*emphasis *added]:
>>>>
>>>> The freedom to run the program means the freedom for any kind of person
>>>> or organization to use it on any kind of computer system, for any kind of
>>>> overall job and purpose, *without being required to communicate about
>>>> it with the developer or any other specific entity*. In this freedom, *it
>>>> is the user's purpose that matters, not the developer's purpose*; you
>>>> as a user are free to run the program for your purposes, and if you
>>>> distribute it to someone else, she is then free to run it for her purposes,
>>>> but *you are not entitled to impose your purposes on her*.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Simply put: you, as a developer, do not have the right to this
>>>> information without the user's informed consent.
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> There is absolutely no private information that is garnered from
>>>>> PressTrends.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> From the PressTrends privacy policy <http://presstrends.io/privacy>:
>>>>
>>>> Themes containing the PressTrends tracking code track the following
>>>> information only: number of posts published, number of comments, blog name,
>>>> theme version, site url, and the number of plugins.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Those data, in that combination, ARE potentially personally
>>>> identifiable.
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> This isn't a privacy issue, and the metrics it does gather are
>>>>> extremely valuable to theme developers.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whether such data constitute a privacy concern is a matter for each end
>>>> user to decide for him/herself.
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> The only thing PressTrends "tracks" is theme activations of what theme
>>>>> version number of the theme is being activated, the average number of
>>>>> posts, comments, and plugins, and abandonment rates telling you if people
>>>>> have stopped using the theme after 30-days.
>>>>>
>>>>> I have absolutely no problem disclosing this better in our
>>>>> documentation, but to make it an option that has to be enabled makes the
>>>>> data it does gather pretty much useless.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Useless to whom: the end user, or the developer? If the service is
>>>> useful to the end user, then make the usefulness argument to end users. If
>>>> the service is *not* useful to the end user, then it absolutely should not
>>>> be enabled by default.
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> It enables us to see if our users are upgrading their themes to the
>>>>> latest versions, and gives us insight into those who stop using our themes.
>>>>>
>>>>> Having to turn PressTrends off by default and then asking users to
>>>>> enable it as a theme option makes the data useless because you will only
>>>>> get activation numbers from people who enable the theme option which means
>>>>> they are already using and configuring your theme.
>>>>>
>>>>> If this is truly a requirement, this should be in the theme review
>>>>> guidelines.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Certainly. I will copy the similar policy wording from the Plugin
>>>> repository <http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/about/guidelines/>(see #7: No "phoning home"), and find the appropriate place for it in the
>>>> Theme guidelines.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>>
>>>> Chip
>>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>> theme-reviewers at lists.wordpress.org
>>> http://lists.wordpress.org/mailman/listinfo/theme-reviewers
>>>
>>>
>>
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