Shopping Lens - Linux action show

[Gone fishing]

There was recently quite a heated thread on the shopping lens - certainly I was quite heated, so I thought this might be quite interesting. http://www.jupiterbroadcasting.com/t...x-action-show/

The last Linux action show had an update on the Shopping lens, which I think is worth a look at.

The big news for me is you can turn it off, without un-installing, which seems to solve my issues.

Possibly more interesting were the presenters’ views, which were critically supportive. A view expressed was that this is a good idea, but needs to be more, granular more subtle. The web-linking needs to restrict itself so Canonical can make the shopping suggestions more relevant, users need to be able to make choices on how it runs so searches are more relevant to them.

I'm interested to see where this goes, if I can be confident that security issues are addressed (for me this would have to include being able to control under what conditions information is sent out over the web such as web searches being restricted to various lenses). The shopping suggestions are tuneable by the user so that they are relevant and restricted (I don't need adverts for adult content when I searching for a command-line utility), this probably is a good idea. Presumably some of this will have to happen as Canonical gets more partners. Possibly with a more careful implementation with more user control this could be useful and both as a service for the user and raise revenue for Canonical.

[Mikeb85]

There was recently quite a heated thread on the shopping lens - certainly I was quite heated, so I thought this might be quite interesting. http://www.jupiterbroadcasting.com/t...x-action-show/

The last Linux action show had an update on the Shopping lens, which I think is worth a look at.

The big news for me is you can turn it off, without un-installing, which seems to solve my issues.

Possibly more interesting were the presenters’ views, which were critically supportive. A view expressed was that this is a good idea, but needs to be more, granular more subtle. The web-linking needs to restrict itself so Canonical can make the shopping suggestions more relevant, users need to be able to make choices on how it runs so searches are more relevant to them.

I'm interested to see where this goes, if I can be confident that security issues are addressed (for me this would have to include being able to control under what conditions information is sent out over the web such as web searches being restricted to various lenses). The shopping suggestions are tuneable by the user so that they are relevant and restricted (I don't need adverts for adult content when I searching for a command-line utility), this probably is a good idea. Presumably some of this will have to happen as Canonical gets more partners. Possibly with a more careful implementation with more user control this could be useful and both as a service for the user and raise revenue for Canonical.

Not only can you turn it off very easily, they created a privacy menu which gives alot of control over things you computer searches for and tracks...

[BigSilly]

Was listening to this the other day. Really great show, some interesting points all round. My personal feeling is I like the idea of a shopping lens. I have no issue with that, but I agree with Matt Hartley in the show who says that it's not the idea but the implementation that's wrong. You don't want these results spamming all over your Unity whenever you type something in. However, shopping on its own lens is a great idea for Ubuntu, and a great idea for users imho.

[mike acker]

we enjoy a HUGE amount of very high quality free software these days. which would naturally lead us to ask: how does this business model work?

some part of it is pure "pro bono"

but recently i read Mozilla gets paid when Firefox sends a customer to an online merchant {can't find reference right now }

the lens thing seems to be along the same line

Notes

1. I often find the "customers who viewed this bought that" notes with e.g. Amazon, NewEgg -- very useful. but I don't find them intrusive
2. There should be some sort of guide to propriety in this, such as (a) disclose what is going on and (b) don't try to modify the remote client computer
3. always allow the user to switch the feature on|off

Right now I don't fault Canonical for this "lens" thing. I'm hoping to see UBUNTU become a mainstream player,.... particularly as MSFT seems to be taking on water fast

[Gone fishing]

I agree with Matt Hartley in the show who says that it's not the idea but the implementation that's wrong.

I think Matt made some good points and so do you - no one wants to be spammed with non-sense adverts. I also think the security and privicy issues need to be thought through.