[liberationtech] FB-like "Twitter-connect" soon. How can we avoid all this tracking?

[Isaac Wilder]

This conversation could quickly spiral out of control, but I just want
to point out that a precompiled piece of software is called a 'binary'
because it is an opaque blob. I'm pretty sure that's what 'The Dod' meant.


Isaac

On 05/25/2012 11:37 AM, Sarah A. Downey wrote:
> There's no binary in DNT+'s code, so you may want to check your facts. 
>
> I'll respond to your "everything must be open source" statement,
> although I'm fairly certain it won't have any effect on your opinion
> that "closed" always equals "bad."  And please keep in mind that we're
> giving away a /free /add-on with /zero /tracking of or advertising to
> its users.
>
> It's an unnecessarily restrictive and self-handicapping position that
> software /must /be open source to be useful for privacy.  Plenty of
> open source privacy tools have come and gone in the past because they
> aren't sustainable without funding.
>
> Our software does what it says, and it's designed to be simple enough
> that the vast majority of Internet users--people who aren't coders or
> particularly tech savvy--can use it.  It also represents an inordinate
> amount of time, effort, and intellectual endeavor; years of work that
> simply wouldn't have been possible as a side project to supplement a
> paying job.  There's nothing wrong with getting paid.  Financing
> allowed us to create what we did.  It's a double-edged sword:  our VC
> funding provided the resources to create what we did, which means that
> our investors wouldn't be thrilled if we turned around and gave away
> our IP.  We're already giving the product away for free without any
> monetary gain from it.
>
> You can categorically write off software because it's not open source,
> but you'll miss a lot of legitimate opportunities for privacy protection.
>
> -Sarah
>
> On Fri, May 25, 2012 at 10:47 AM, The Dod <unclezzzen at gmail.com
> <mailto:unclezzzen at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>     Unless I'm mistaken, your source code isn't publicly available.
>     I don't see how binary files could be part of any privacy solution.
>
>
>     On 05/25/2012 07:35 PM, Sarah A. Downey wrote:
>>     I'm writing to suggest a tech solution.  I'm an attorney and
>>     privacy analyst at an online privacy startup in Boston called
>>     Abine <http://abine.com/>, and we developed a tracker-blocking
>>     browser add-on called DoNotTrackPlus
>>     <http://abine.com/dntdetail.php> (DNT+) with unique capabilities
>>     around social button tracker blocking.  My response contains
>>     elements of shameless pluggery, but it's so relevant to the OP's
>>     call for a solution that I had to weigh in.
>
>
>
>
> -- 
> *Sarah A. Downey*
> Privacy Analyst  |  Attorney
> Abine, The Online Privacy Company
> t:  @SarahADowney  |  p:  800.928.1987
>
>
>
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