Re: [GD-General] Collecting info from players

[Colin F. <cp...@ea...>]

>>> I think it should be defaulting to "yes". Because if
>>> a user doesn't care he won't do any extraneous moves to
>>> continue installation. And if he _really_ wants to keep
>>> his computer configuration unrevealed it won't be a
>>> problem for him to make an extra mouse click to change
>>> it to "no".

Are you proposing a screen all by itself in the installation
process that describes the extent of the data being collected
and its uses, and a simple "[x] Enable Data Collection" 
checkbox?

Too often the terms of data collection and use are too
complicated to fit on a single screen of an installation
program.  Some programs refer the user to a EULA.

Some applications take this theme to a crazy extreme.
The RealOne player, and Windows Media Player, and Quicktime,
and various other applications, have lots and lots of
checkboxes that default to "yes".  It takes forever to
go through them all to say "no"!  No, I don't want this
application to be associated with every file extension
known to mankind.  No, I don't want periodic newsletters.
No, I don't want automatic upgrades.  No, I don't want to
use any Internet CD database, etc, etc.

Users do not want to spend all day studying the terms of
the use of software.  Who can read any EULA these days in
less than an hour, let alone comprehend it?  What user 
will study all of the default checkbox choices made for
them?  I bet you could change all defaults to opposite 
settings and users would still not bother to change them.
To say that the user doesn't care is not quite right, I
don't think.  If you had a checkbox "[x] Erase hard drive"
and another that said "[x] Install a Legion of Viruses",
and the user didn't bother to change these boxes, I think
this is not because they are carefree.  I think there is
some implicit trust between users and software companies
that the companies will try to make the products serve the
interests of users.  Why bother looking at the settings?
Microsoft would never do something like get me to unwittingly
give up my privacy, would they?

But even the existence of a checkbox suggests that the
data collection will continue on an ongoing basis.  This
is hard to justify for almost any application!  Why not
request to submit information when the application 
launches for the first time, and when the application
experiences an error?  Make your case to the user.
Maybe have a table that itemizes the information you
wish to collect:

[x] "Pentium 4 / 2.4 GHz"  : 
       Telling us this helps us decide on the best way
       to optimize future patches to the game;
[x] "512 MB RAM"  : 
       Telling us this helps us decide on the best way
       to optimize future patches to the game;
[ ] "Colin Fahey" :
       This helps us publicize your questionable actions
       in our multiplayer game.
[ ] "4138 2274 1719 0052" :
       This helps us rob you blind and damage your
       credit forever. 1337 haX0r Rulz!
[SUBMIT]  [DO NOT SUBMIT]  [CANCEL]


>> How did you decide that getting the "OS type" and "cpu type" 
>> was okay and getting an e-mail address or credit card number 
>> was NOT okay?
>
>Duh. 
>
>I think you're getting so worked up about your higher cause 
>that you pretend to ignore simple, everyday common sense. 

The point I was trying to make, and partly sabotaged by 
mentioning an extreme case that clearly falls under 
"common sense", was that there is a continuum of degrees
of acceptibility, and there is no telling what people 
will decide is okay.  Sometimes a company's attitude is
so pervasive and brainwashing that things that may not
have seemed okay before now don't seem so bad.  

For some, fetching the e-mail address (if the guy meant
actual e-mail, I misunderstood) seems like a perfectly
reasonable idea.  Maybe someone thinks getting a credit card
number is a way to improve the user's experience, so that if
there is ever an opportunity to gamble or buy stuff within
the context of the multiplayer game, the user will not be
bothered by pesky dialog boxes..."common sense"!


>>> The information that you're using a Pentium 4 / 2.4 GHz
>>> with 512 MB RAM can... ummmm... can you think of something
>>> evil that can happen to you?

Great!  Bring up a dialog box that says:  Would you like to
tell FuBar, Inc the following: "Pentium 4 / 2.4 GHz with 512 MB
RAM"?

The user clicks "Okay" or "No".  It's a happy ending!

The argument for bringing up a dialog box, indicating the
exact information to be transmitted, is supported by the
idea of respecting the user's wishes.

The argument against bringing up a dialog box, or against
indicating the information to be transmitted, does not
have the user's best interest in mind.  If the fear is that
irrational users will always say "No" to such a dialog box,
because the mere suggestion of gathering information scares
people, so be it.  Clearly the argument for gathering data
was too weak to convince a user.  If you really want the
data, offer an incentive.  NetZero, Hotmail, etc, offer 
free e-mail, etc, in exchange for data collection and 
marketing opportunities.