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Groups > alt.comp.os.windows-10 > #157693

Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier

From Paul <nospam@needed.invalid>
Newsgroups alt.comp.os.windows-10, alt.comp.microsoft.windows
Subject Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier
Date 2022-03-19 14:50 -0400
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <t158ml$ja$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References <t15539$i6r$1@gioia.aioe.org> <t15594$28c$1@dont-email.me>

Cross-posted to 2 groups.

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On 3/19/2022 1:52 PM, Big Al wrote:
> On 3/19/22 13:49, this is what Andy Burnelli wrote:
>> Dated March 17th 2022
>> Each Firefox download has a unique identifier
>> <https://www.ghacks.net/2022/03/17/each-firefox-download-has-a-unique-identifier/>
>>
>> This data will allow us to correlate telemetry IDs with download tokens and
>> Google Analytics IDs. This will allow us to track which installs result from
>> which downloads to determine the answers to questions like, "Why do we see
>> so many installs per day, but not that many downloads per day?"
>>
>> According to Mozilla's description, the identifier is used to analyze
>> downloading and installation trends among other things.
>>
>> The feature is powered by Telemetry in Firefox and it applies to all Firefox
>> channels.
> So one download to a thumb drive and then 5 installs on 5 computers screws up the statistics huh!??!

Since I quite often use the release server, I'm not too concerned
for the moment.

If you're a paranoid personality, the Firefox infrastructure supported
by Google, such as lists of URLs to avoid, the act of connecting
and updating your list, there is a unique identifier generated from
the first visit. And you might be tracked by that (you contact
Google once a day to update your list and a cookie is used to correlate
you with other adword cookies or something).

If you want better quality browsers, you need ones where someone
has gone through and stripped all that cruft out.

But as far as I'm concerned, the terrorists have won. The number
of machines times installs times browsers, means I won't be sitting
around picking the wings off flies for amusement.

The browser people, are like a certain "APT" in malware parlance.
The APT in question, was known for being prolific. If a competitor
made just one really good malware, that APT would make fifty
weak-sauce malwares, in effect spray painting the audience. What
they lacked in finesse, they more than made up for in volume.
And that group is still in business, and successful, even if
they aren't noted for being clever.

And that's how we get our cookie-alternatives on browsers. Put
in fifty innocuous subsystems (um "System Workers"), every
second release, "hide the potato" in a different compartment.
It's not like when these things are reported, it's an "accident"
or a "mistake by a noob on our team".

    Paul

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Thread

Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Andy Burnelli <spam@nospam.com> - 2022-03-19 17:49 +0000
  Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Big Al <Bears@invalid.com> - 2022-03-19 13:52 -0400
    Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2022-03-19 14:50 -0400
    Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Roger Blake <rogblake@iname.invalid> - 2022-03-20 01:07 +0000
  Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Johnny <johnny@invalid.net> - 2022-03-19 13:27 -0500
    Smelly Burnelli does not gag when he swallows John Doe's sperm. Idaho Homo Joe <dick_lick@aol.com> - 2022-03-19 14:44 -0400
    Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2022-03-21 18:03 +0000
      Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Andy Burnelli <spam@nospam.com> - 2022-03-21 19:53 +0000
        Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2022-03-21 20:38 +0000
          Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Andy Burnelli <spam@nospam.com> - 2022-03-22 02:26 +0000
            Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Andy Burnelli <spam@nospam.com> - 2022-03-22 02:54 +0000
              Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2022-03-22 08:30 +0000
            Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2022-03-22 08:24 +0000
              Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Andy Burnelli <spam@nospam.com> - 2022-03-22 12:13 +0000
  Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier dillinger <dillinger@invalid.not> - 2022-03-19 21:37 +0100
    Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Andy Burnelli <spam@nospam.com> - 2022-03-19 23:24 +0000
      Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Arlen Holder <spam@nospam.com> - 2022-03-19 23:39 +0000
        Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Andy Burnelli <spam@nospam.com> - 2022-03-20 00:43 +0000
          Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier dillinger <dillinger@invalid.not> - 2022-03-20 02:48 +0100
            Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Andy Burnelli <spam@nospam.com> - 2022-03-20 01:58 +0000
              Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier dillinger <dillinger@invalid.not> - 2022-03-20 03:50 +0100
                Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Andy Burnelli <spam@nospam.com> - 2022-03-20 04:09 +0000
                Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2022-03-22 13:39 +0100
                Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Andy Burnelli <spam@nospam.com> - 2022-03-23 01:50 +0000
                Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2022-03-23 12:59 +0100
                Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Andy Burnelli <spam@nospam.com> - 2022-03-23 15:26 +0000
        Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2022-03-20 04:27 -0400
          Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Andy Burnelli <spam@nospam.com> - 2022-03-20 13:34 +0000
            Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2022-03-20 11:20 -0400
              Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier Andy Burnelli <spam@nospam.com> - 2022-03-20 17:05 +0000
  Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2022-03-22 13:50 +0100

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