[swsieber]

Indeed. Though on-by-default telemetry gets a different set of data than engaging with the customer.

If adding telemetry is faster and easier than engaging with the customer, then you'll see projects that add telemetry that wouldn't otherwise have the bandwidth to engage with the customer.

In general, I think the best way to go is to ask in the installer or initial setup, whether you want to send telemetry, and have a sane default according to whether you gather potentially personal information (location? personal, commands run (without args), not personal).

Example Prompt: Send telemetry (commands used, version) (y/n)[y]:

[zabil]

We've experimented asking users on install or initial setup. But most of the time our tool runs in non interactive environments e.g. on a CI/CD set up (install and execution).

An additional flag for non-interactive installs can solve the problem, but that's a broken setup experience, someone has to look up the documentation after a failure to install.

Turning it off by default in case of a CI/CD setup means losing most of the data.

[winthrowe]

If you're setting up automated non-interactive installs, your job is to check for install failures and consult the documentation; I know that's part of my job.

I'd recommend a required installer flag forcing the user to make a decision, but I'm a user who generally leaves telemetry on.

[zabil]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Here's what we are doing next release (out this week)

* Ask if the user wants to opt out in the graphical installers.

* Print a message after non-graphical installs about data collection and link to documentation on how to turn it off.