Dear cross-project-issues,

we are currently investigating new approaches how to reduce the traffic AERI 
causes. One feature of AERI is to check a local database whether an error that 
was just logged is relevant to eclipse.org <http://eclipse.org/>, or should be 
ignored, or needs additional information etc. Based on that information the 
user gets different popups (or non in case it should be ignored).

The problem with the current approach is that it, in the meanwhile, causes 
several TB of traffic per month. This traffic is currently distributed over the 
eclipse mirrors so it’s not directly affecting download.eclipse.org 
<http://download.eclipse.org/> but IMHO its something that should be changed.

An alternative approach would be to replace the local problems database by a 
REST API where client’s can send a fingerprint to and get the same information 
directly from the server. The results may also be cached to limit/reduce 
further requests to the server. We estimate that this would reduce the traffic 
(TB) by an order of magnitude. 

The downside of such an approach would be that (i) we would see many more HTTPS 
requests to dev.eclipse.org/recommenders <http://dev.eclipse.org/recommenders> 
and (ii) that sending a fingerprint to eclipse.org <http://eclipse.org/> may be 
considered as a privacy issue by some.

The former is something we need to evaluate and discuss with webmaster(s). This 
process has already started.

I’m looking for your input on the second part: whether sending the fingerprint 
of an error report to eclipse.org <http://eclipse.org/> before the user 
explicitly agrees to send the error itself is considered a privacy issue. My 
personal take is that the fingerprint itself does not contain any reasonable 
private information. However, under some conditions committers may be able to 
“see” which errors a user hits on his machine even if he does not send the 
error report ( IFF we'd send the reporter id along with the fingerprint or 
would track the reporter’s IP address - which we do not do!).


Would you (better: who would) consider sending a fingerprint w/o explicit user 
confirmation as a privacy issue?



Thank you for your feedback
Marcel



-- 
Codetrails GmbH
The knowledge transfer company

Robert-Bosch-Str. 7, 64293 Darmstadt
Phone: +49-6151-276-7092
Mobile: +49-179-131-7721
http://www.codetrails.com/

Managing Director: Dr. Marcel Bruch
Handelsregister: Darmstadt HRB 91940

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