Mediacoder_X64 -- "Calling Back Home" and user surveillance

[JoeM]

These comments refer to recent builds of Mediacoder_x64.
As I have posted in another topic, I have had significant issues with the more recent builds of MC and have been doing quite a bit of experimentation and monitoring to attempt to get a better handle on the problem. Several issues have come to light..

I have been doing my tests on "portable" installs on my L: drive.
Included in this testing is a monitoring of the the network traffic.


1.
The docs state that MC will check for the availability of updates (ie builds newer than the one currently running) when it starts.
One can "disable" this checking by setting "Ignore Build" to 9999 (viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8131)


MC_x64 builds 5540 and 5542 (& I think earlier builds as well) make http queries to
www.mediacoderhq.com
www.mediacoder.net.au
to check version/build.
I would have thought that this SHOULD not happen if one had set it it "ignore build"
This one I could live with, but if one made settings with the intent MC should be independent of the net, then one would hope that this would be the case.


2.
MC_x64 Builds 5540 & 5542
Choosing "Settings" causes an http request to www.mediacoderhq.com with path of /start.preflinks.php
I would have thought that all preferences / templates etc for processing of settings would be LOCAL and not require reference to a remote website.


3.
MC_x64 Build 5540 (but not in build 5542).
MC set to transcode an audio file to MP3 using the (default) LAME transcoder. It only happens iner the LAME transcoder
At the completion of the the processing, a window pops up to indicate successful completion of the task
AND a report is sent to google-analytics and mediacoderhq

The HTTP - URL's are

http://www.google-analytics.com/ga.js
http://www.mediacoderhq.com/report/done/?p=19819&x=64
http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.g ... msc=32-bit&...................................

I am NOT impressed that my transcoding activity is being reported/logged to either a MediaCoder website or google-analytics.


It is of course possible that there are unintentional logging by the program's author, in which case they should be rectified,
OTHERWISE,
I think it is the duty of the program's author's to be open and state/admit/make clear what logging and net activity is done by Mediacoder (at least the free version). Does anyone know at this stage what else (if anything) is logged and reported off site?

I would also hope (and consider it good design), that the program is "complete" when installed and does not require net access / resources to function (eg acquire prefs files on the fly).
If this is not the case, good practice would say that this should be clearly stated.
If I sound a bit "cheesed off", that is the case as I do not like being unknowingly or "covertly" monitored.

Joe.

[stanley]

Stop mislead people. THERE IS NO USER SURVEILLANCE, and I don't have time and motivation of any kind to do this.
Google Analytics is used to reflect the number of dialy users. The whole Internet has this.

BTW: I have no interest to make your modified version of MediaCoder work.

[JoeM]

Stop mislead people. THERE IS NO USER SURVEILLANCE, and I don't have time and motivation of any kind to do this.
Google Analytics is used to reflect the number of dialy users. The whole Internet has this.

BTW: I have no interest to make your modified version of MediaCoder work.

Stanley my reponse: I do not mislead people. Facts are Facts about what your program does..
I have not asked you to make a "modified version" of the program work.
If you wish to "throw suggestions" back in peoples faces ... that is your perogative.

Finito!

[stanley]

I didn't see any facts you have given lead to the conclusion of user surveillance. If you call Google Analytics user surveillance, you are getting surveilanced whenever you are using your web browser, then complain to Google about it and don't rumour here!