This post seems a bit too proud of itself. Love the first comment in the article though:
"Here is a list of stuff that tracks you installed on the page talking about how cyanogen will never track you. Note you need not interact with any of these to be tracked. Just browse the page you're reading.
Comscore Beacon
Disqus
Facebook Social Graph
Google +1 button
Google analytics
Quantcast
Twitter Button
Not saying cyanogen is evil, or that these are unusual or unreasonable, or even missing the point about how carrier bloatware will inevitably lead to truly evil things like Carrier IQ. It's hard to get away from this kind of crap these days. The irony just struck me, that's all."
Of course they don't. But they do have CMStats (http://www.cyanogenmod.com/blog/cmstats-what-it-is-and-why-y...). While it is much better than Carrier IQ (less intrusive and prompts you to opt out on install), it still proves this info has value and even the most "fight the man", dogmatic open source project wants it.
"This info" is quite the weasel word. The set of data collected by cmstat, and what carrier's need spyware to obtain are mutually exclusive. Everything that CM stats collects would be available to carriers by looking at a combination of their sales, tower checkins, and firmware upgrades. After reading what data was included, I decided to opt-in my phone after previously opting-out by force of habit.
CyanogenMod is the reason why I was comfortable buying an Android, as I don't trust these Android phone makers to release updates in a timely manner or to care about me as a customer.
But how did you feel about all those strange programs you had to use to get root to install it?
Because when I went through the process I was extremely nervous - even though most of the code is open source, how would you spot a backdoor if it was buried within a line?
The ability to have root from the factory on a device you own should be a consumer's right in the states, just like getting your carrier unlock code.
CyanogenMod is only part of the solution: It still requires a proprietary radio stack for each phone and there is plenty of backdoor stuff someone could put into the radio code.
Users of any of the Nexus models don't, and for that I'm thankful. However, I hope Google takes this bad press seriously and does something more than merely distance themselves from third party cell manufacturers like HTC that have installed Carrier IQ on their phones.
Google could provide an update that would remove or disable Carrier IQ. Something to tide users over until the next OS update is available to their phones. I find it unlikely that Carrier IQ will be around on any device after ICS is installed (too much bad press for HTC, etc.),
but that may take some time or simply not even happen for some phones.
One thing that is starting to become very clear is that there are more advantages to the Nexus line than just getting swift updates! Third party cell manufacturers may have unwittingly created a two-tier Android market, with their modified versions of the OS in the bottom tier.
Hopefully, the number of users of CM will rise enough to give the carriers "competition" and stop putting stuff like this and other bloatware in them. Because once a phone is rooted, they can also use apps like the ones for free tethering and so on. And I'm sure they don't like that at all.
Not sure what you're calling out here. That end users have to root their phones in order to avoid something undesirable is not something that CyanogenMod can respond to. All the alternative firmware provides is a way to avoid something that is otherwise forced on you, and CyanogenMod is pointing out that it's offering that alternative.
shouldn't, I heartily agree, but the hard reality of the matter seems to be that it is currently necessary. If you don't control root on your own device, you don't know (and can't find out) who else does.
I've been hearing some rumours of OEMs considering releasing phones with CM installed by default. They're definitely starting to actively support development (I think both Samsung and Ericcson have been providing devices, and the latter have definitely been hinting at providing much more support).
Kicking them when they're down and fishing for compliments at the same time; impressive. Perhaps next we'll hear that CyanogenMod doesn't cause cancer.
As an engineer I couldn't care less about their small post. I already knew about cyanogen.
As a run of the mill consumer though this post couldn't be more poignant. Raising awareness of an alternative firmware? That is huge. This is how Linux got started.
Blame marketing all you want but the more people who know about Cyanogen the better.
Not sure how CyanogenMod commenting on a topical issue that affects their target audience deserves a hostile response. Also not sure when people started caring about the feelings of telcos that put spyware on your phone by default...
If it turned out that basically every other mainstream phone OS had just been discovered to cause cancer, yes, I would say the fact that CM doesn't and never will would be welcome news.
[+] [-] zachinglis|14 years ago|reply
"Here is a list of stuff that tracks you installed on the page talking about how cyanogen will never track you. Note you need not interact with any of these to be tracked. Just browse the page you're reading.
Comscore Beacon Disqus Facebook Social Graph Google +1 button Google analytics Quantcast Twitter Button
Not saying cyanogen is evil, or that these are unusual or unreasonable, or even missing the point about how carrier bloatware will inevitably lead to truly evil things like Carrier IQ. It's hard to get away from this kind of crap these days. The irony just struck me, that's all."
[+] [-] Kylekramer|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] cbs|14 years ago|reply
"This info" is quite the weasel word. The set of data collected by cmstat, and what carrier's need spyware to obtain are mutually exclusive. Everything that CM stats collects would be available to carriers by looking at a combination of their sales, tower checkins, and firmware upgrades. After reading what data was included, I decided to opt-in my phone after previously opting-out by force of habit.
[+] [-] gospelwut|14 years ago|reply
[nobody has aptitude or inclination to maintain such a thing]
[+] [-] bowyakka|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bad_user|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ck2|14 years ago|reply
Because when I went through the process I was extremely nervous - even though most of the code is open source, how would you spot a backdoor if it was buried within a line?
The ability to have root from the factory on a device you own should be a consumer's right in the states, just like getting your carrier unlock code.
[+] [-] unknown|14 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] ars|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gst|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jrockway|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kevin_jacobs|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] beloch|14 years ago|reply
Google could provide an update that would remove or disable Carrier IQ. Something to tide users over until the next OS update is available to their phones. I find it unlikely that Carrier IQ will be around on any device after ICS is installed (too much bad press for HTC, etc.), but that may take some time or simply not even happen for some phones.
One thing that is starting to become very clear is that there are more advantages to the Nexus line than just getting swift updates! Third party cell manufacturers may have unwittingly created a two-tier Android market, with their modified versions of the OS in the bottom tier.
[+] [-] nextparadigms|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] thwarted|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] wladimir|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] estel|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] JonnieCache|14 years ago|reply
Imagine if cyanogen had been putting cIQ in there? He'd be burned at the stake.
[+] [-] wmf|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jtchang|14 years ago|reply
As an engineer I couldn't care less about their small post. I already knew about cyanogen.
As a run of the mill consumer though this post couldn't be more poignant. Raising awareness of an alternative firmware? That is huge. This is how Linux got started.
Blame marketing all you want but the more people who know about Cyanogen the better.
[+] [-] Klinky|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] msg|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gougify|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rimantas|14 years ago|reply