[0.16.24] Automatic upload of crash logs

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n2rg
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[0.16.24] Automatic upload of crash logs

Post by n2rg »

So 0.16.24 introduced an — I quote — "Minor Feature":
⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ When the game crashes, the crash log is uploaded to us. You can opt out by disabling it in the options menu.

I'm flagging this as a bug to ask for an official statement about the reasoning behind this.
There has been extensive discussion among users on the release notes for 0.16.24, but unlike with previous release issues, there hasn't been any response from the developers. (To my surprise, there also haven't been any other threads on the forum about this, as far as I can see.)

Summarising the points from the release note discussion:
  • Making this opt-out with so little prior notification is a questionable move, to put it mildly.
  • This may, or may not, violate EU privacy laws (as the uploaded data can be used to uniquely identify users).
    Did you check whether this applies here? You could possibly get into a lot of trouble if this case triggers the law.
  • If the game crashes on startup (which might, hypothetically, even be caused by updating to 0.16.24), there is no way to prevent the upload (since one can't reach the option in time).
  • For headless servers, there simply doesn't exist a documented solution to disable the upload. The only option is to apply the option on a GUI client and diff config.ini before and after the change to reveal the option's name.
Let me be clear to prevent misunderstandings: I voluntarily upload crash logs and file bug reports for most (free and/or open-source) software I'm using. The idea of sharing useful information with a software's developers is not what I am upset about.
I am extremely and unpleasantly surprised, however, that the developers — with their history of frequent and open communication with their users — would suddenly decide to add and automatically enable an upload feature without any notification when it is triggered (since the release note popup just appears once).
Note here that I haven't seen this feature in action: my first action when I saw the release notes was to disable the auto-updater; I am running on 0.16.23 at this time.
That we've come to expect this from certain commercial software vendors doesn't justify this — actually quite the opposite, in my opinion.

This could have been solved so simply and elegantly right from its invention… Look at the Mozilla Crash Reporter, for example: it does opt-in/opt-out on the spot (the setting can be pre-set and stored between invocations), it provides information on what is transmitted, and it even allows the user to add information on what they might have done to cause the crash.
Same with the Android Crash Reporter, which might be encountered even more frequently (though I can't find a proper screenshot online): simple "Send? Yes/No" buttons, a textbox for additional information, and a button to view what is being transmitted.

Can we please have the Factorio Crash Reporter implemented like that?
You were setting a great precedent for multi-platform compatibility and open communication with your users. Please don't let it go to waste.

Loewchen
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Re: [0.16.24] Automatic upload of crash logs

Post by Loewchen »

This is not a bug report, I move this to suggestions.

n2rg
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Re: [0.16.24] Automatic upload of crash logs

Post by n2rg »

"Suggestion" is quite an understatement.
The way it is currently implemented, this is "unexpected/unwanted behaviour", and especially with the potential legal complications this could cause severe damage.

I've seen how little actual movement there is on the suggestion board; it would be troubling if this thread got ignored and forgotten in the same way.

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