Collecting user data

Abhi

It has been a touchy topic these days. As gamification goes advanced, a lot of data is collected based on user actions. Trophies like Anniversary, First Like, First Quote etc are in fact adding to the info collected per user. God knows what else are collected when those trophies and badges are awarded.

In some cases, these gamification plugins are 3 rd party. So neither the software nor the user is storing the data and is going to some distant server out of the reach where the rules of the land works.

How do you see this kind of data mining ?

phenomlab

Abhi gamification isn't data mining. It's a mechanism to reward the user for participation during their time on your site. This could be in the form of upvotes, likes, responding to questions, creating a new post etc.

Data mining is the exercise of extracting information about a user's session without their knowledge or consent. HotJar does this all the time - including the ability to track most movements and keyboard activity.

Abhi

phenomlab HotJar does this all the time - including the ability to track most movements and keyboard activity.

Google Chrome and Firefox has no protection for it ?

phenomlab including the ability to track most movements and keyboard activity.

Intimidating. That is what a malware would do, right ?

Abhi

phenomlab gamification isn't data mining. It's a mechanism to reward the user for participation during their time on your site. This could be in the form of upvotes, likes, responding to questions, creating a new post etc.

But they do collect data, right ? Whatever that is on the particular platform.

phenomlab

Abhi Google Chrome and Firefox has no protection for it ?

Some yes, but limited

phenomlab

Abhi Intimidating. That is what a malware would do, right ?

Kind of, but malware tends to be much more direct in its actions

phenomlab

Abhi gamification shouldn't and normally doesn't collect any information outside of what it needs for the session itself. It's merely a rewards system that needs access to the user account for it to work. Why would they need anything outside of that ?

True data mining is typically information collected about the browser session - for example, geographical location, IP address, browser type, screen resolution etc - none of which require the user to login to anything

Abhi

When Facebook says it is your birthday, anniversary, a collection of old photos etc which within the platform. How do you see it ? I agree that those are not stolen data but wilfully shared.

phenomlab

Abhi Facebook only knows that because you told it 👍

admin

I don't like apps keeping track of my activity. But it feels good to have personalised messages. That is one reason I love Discourse very much. They send us things like anniversary, level upgrades etc. It is like you are getting something every week without actually doing anything.

Last day, they gave me a level upgrade on a website where I did only reading. The badge was " you are spending time with us ". Isn't that fun ?

Rewarding forums will go miles that bare bones platforms.