Pick another BSD [...] Maybe you should write to the Foundation, and tell them you like this OS, but don't agree with that. You could also, find a way for a collective letter about that.
Yeah, that also could be a way. But yet I'm not quite convinced with it, even since I know especially OpenBSD and FreeBSD develope independently, and implement parts in their own from each other.
I will write them.
The idea why I started this thread was, as I said, to raise a discussion about it. To have an open collection of opinions, the FreeBSD officials can see what their community thinks about that.
The foundation come every year with their surveys. Now this one here is not about the questions they ask. (Everybody learned how to do surveys right knows, surveys with a representable result look otherwise. But don't let us stress this point here neither.)
This is something they are not asked for, but is a point the community (not only me) cares anyway, as I see proved in the length this thread produced within a week.
It's a (large) "other" box (which I feel are never taken in account.) This is not just checkmarks on multiple choice forms to let the computer produce a nice graph automatically to believe in this pretty and easy the truth is summarized. To dig through such a thing like this thread is the work need to be done when you really want to get closer to what people really think. This thread does not represent the overall opinion of the whole community, of course not, but it delivers additional truth then to count checkmarks at some multiple choice forms on questions the community didn't asked.
When you really wanna know, what you customers think, let them ask the questions, and listen to their answers they give you on them.
All those internet polls are just for to make yourself believe you were right. Not seldom it turns out, you were wrong, and don't understand why. It's simple: You asked the wrong questions but did not really listen to your customers (users).
That's why I started this thread.
I'm pretty sure there's no little man in a back room somewhere rifling through all that to pick one individual out to spy on. So I don't worry about it and move on.
Let me repeat myself again with more details, hopefully to make it clear then:
If this donation button is by some internet-money-collecting service, which collects the money for the foundation, and then give it to them, my data is not just given to the foundation, but to the money-collecting service.
They will (may) also give a copy of that data to the foundation.
This way my data is collected at least at two points: The non-profit orga of FreBSD's foundation, and a money collecting service which works for profit.
Again I repeat: It's not just an e-mail address we are talking. It's EVERYTHING. It's even more as all those data leeches - Google, Facebook, WhatsApp etc. - demand from their users. You are aware, those are billionaires? And they don't beg for donations.
I had no problem, when the form sheet at the donation opens, and you can fill in your data if you want to, and not if you don't. And I bet many of you "what's the big deal to make a fuss over that pettiness; just do it, don't worry, and move on" guys then would not give all your data neither, when you don't have to.
But it's mandatory.
And again - to not we see this one also again for the fourth time: It's not for to support a political party, and their campaign, and even when the amount is below 250 USD.
Now it comes to the "that's too much effort for me, I don't wanna think about it" stuff:
For I give a donation I must give ALL my data and I must sign a "privacy" policy accepting the terms - I need to pay for that I donate? (Who not got this one may read above again about Google, Facebook and the billionaires, or ask an adult.)
In all of those "privacy agrrement" terms is written, they only use the data for their own, pure statistical interests, and none of it is given to third parties blablabla. And there are laws that punish infringements.
For me, a common single person, those laws are not worth the paper they are written on.
It's the same as when you find out you have been pickpocketed: No thief, no witness, no proof: no nothing. It's simply a waste of police's time to make them write a report, since even no insurance will cover that.
To make it even clearer:
Imagine I give them my data. Then later I receive some spam emails, or even annoying telefone calls by parasitic life forms who wanna sell me some worthless crap, or want to get their hands on my money otherwise.
And they obviously have data on me I only gave to nobody else then to those who assured me written they be careful, and don't give away any data to nobody.
Some of you may say:"Some spam. So what? Just adjust your spam filter, and go on."
That's not the point. The point is: There is a breach of trust. There is a violation of the policy terms we both agreed to. And there is a violation of the law. Because they obviously either failed to take the needed care, or they did give away my data. Neither of that I can prove.
Now what? I call the german police, tell them my story. They call the county sheriff, or whoever is in charge, and those storm the offices, and collect all hard drives? Or what? No, of course not.
I tell what will happen: The same as when you report a pickpocketing to the police: Nothing.
So, you need to do likewise as you do to protect yourself from pickpocketing:
Don't carry more cash as needed with you, and watch out for where you place your wallet.
And you wouldn't say to nobody who says:"I keep my wallet with me, and not trust it to some strangers."
"Oh, come on. Where is the big deal? Just do it, and move on!"
IMO those are the core issues we actually have here:
What is the value of personal data - for you, for others?
What data is necassary for what?
We don't need to discuss, that I have to give everything to the tax office, or to the police when I got a speeding ticket. But I simply disagree, don't see, and refuse to see that I have to give my full name, snail-address, telefonnumber, the answer if I'm employed, or not - EVERYTHING - reveal my whole personal identy over the internet, for doing a (
small) donation.
I also thought about: Why not get some dollar notes from the bank, put them in an envelope, and ship it per post at the foundations address?
I find it was an interesting point if some one then would say:"Nah, this money can be stolen." By whom? The janitor? Or more likely the secretary who opens the letter? Hm?
I shall trust strangers they don't trust themselves?
What I also could live with, was: Somebody collects the donations anonymously, and then donates that to the foundation. This does not have to be a natural person. And that's what I meant with
There are ways to collect donations anonymously elsewhere - maybe open a branch in Canada, or Europe?
To create some kind of letterbox branch; not to move the foundation.
But the easiest way at all was:
The foundation simply understands it's not a good idea to ask all those data as mandatory by the users.
Maybe they will lose donations this way, because also others see it like me, and will not donate then.
So better change this way of donation to not asking for data need to be given mandatory, if the amount is below 250 USD.
Where is the problem to just have simnple button: "Donate. Amount. Credit card charged. Thanks."?
(And don't start again the 5th time with the "IRS", and 250 $. I think we stressed that enough.)
Then we don't need to discuss about finding workarounds, having an argument between careful and careless, and discuss about how to discuss...
