641935 - opt-in UI for TB instrumentation

Status: NEW

(Thunderbird :: General, defect)

Description

[Bryan Clark (DevTools PM) [:clarkbw]]

+++ This bug was initially created as a clone of Bug #632639 +++

This bug is about taking the work done in bug 632639 and creating a UI that allows users to opt into the instrumentation work.

Comment 1

[rsx11m]

In order to allow the user to make an informed decision, more details on the list in bug 632639 comment #2 will have to be provided upfront in that UI:

> With this patch, we track the following events, with timestamps:
> 
> "msgSent" - user sent a message successfully
> "setAsDefault" - thunderbird set as the default mail client
> "msgDownloaded" - a message was added to a folder
> "accountAdded" - an account was added (meaning an incoming server was added)
> "smtpServerAdded" - an smtp server was added

Specifically, whether any identifying or anonymous information on sender or recipient(s), involved ISPs, and message content is sent with such a report.

Also, will this (along with the backend) stay part of the regular 3.3 release or phased out as an add-on or similar after the pre-releases are done?

Comment 2

[David :Bienvenu]

This is intended for the regular 3.3 release. Only anonymous info is sent - a hash value of the user's e-mail address, which obviously can't be used to figure out the actual address. Other than that, we only send timestamps and boolean answers to the above questions.

Bryan, mail.instrumentation.userOptedIn is the pref to set to true if the user does opt in. Changing that pref will automatically trigger an attempt to post the data. mail.instrumentation.askUser is the pref to turn this off completely, e.g., enterprises - so if that's set to false, we shouldn't show opt-in UI.

Comment 3

[Bryan Clark (DevTools PM) [:clarkbw]]

Attachment: statistics preference

Here's a first crack at the preference for usage statistics

Comment 4

[Bryan Clark (DevTools PM) [:clarkbw]]

(In reply to comment #3)
> Created attachment 523481 [details]
> statistics preference
> 
> Here's a first crack at the preference for usage statistics

The text I'm using here is: "Help improve Thunderbird by anonymously sharing usage statistics"

Will attach another mockup with a notification bar that I'd like to have pop up after some amount of idle time.

Comment 5

[Bryan Clark (DevTools PM) [:clarkbw]]

Attachment: screenshot of the notification bar

Here's the notification bar asking people to help improve Thunderbird.  At first I was looking for a way to add a (?) help button there but I've given up on that.  I think it might just make sense to open up a Thunderbird ContentTab to a page that explains what we are doing.  Even if they click yes or no we could show the data we've collected and how to change their settings; both might be interesting and useful to people.

Comment 6

[rsx11m]

Both the checkbox in the preference pane and the notification bar need a "tell me more" link to provide the details of which information is gathered and used for which purpose in which way. This must be accessible by the user before in order to make an informed decision, you cannot just provide a Yes/No button and hope that the user will know what this is all about.

Also, if the only information gathered is during the first account setup, why isn't the UI presented at that time?

Comment 7

[rsx11m]

> (comment #5) I think it might just make sense to open up a Thunderbird ContentTab
> to a page that explains what we are doing.

If the timing of the notification bar is arbitrary and you want to focus a content tab for that information it will be as "welcome" as the "Take our survey" JavaScript slide-in on web page. Users likely don't appreciate disruptions of their current activities by quasi-ads like that...

Comment 8

[David :Bienvenu]

One question is when would we show this notification? After account setup, on first run?

Is this a manufactured screen shot, or do you have a patch for this?

Comment 9

[Bryan Clark (DevTools PM) [:clarkbw]]

(In reply to comment #8)
> One question is when would we show this notification? After account setup, on
> first run?

I think we want to show this quickly within the first run.

> Is this a manufactured screen shot, or do you have a patch for this?

Manufactured, though I used the error console to open up a notification I could then use Dom Inspector to modify.

Comment 10

[Bryan Clark (DevTools PM) [:clarkbw]]

(In reply to comment #7)
> If the timing of the notification bar is arbitrary and you want to focus a
> content tab for that information it will be as "welcome" as the "Take our
> survey" JavaScript slide-in on web page. Users likely don't appreciate
> disruptions of their current activities by quasi-ads like that...

I could use suggestions for how to integrate a "More information" link into the suggested system.  We have a larger, meta, problem about interrupting users which is why I think we want to do this in the beginning just after they have setup their email account.  However that doesn't make opening up a tab after dismissing something ok, just the first easy way we could handle it.

(In reply to comment #9)
> (In reply to comment #8)
> > One question is when would we show this notification? After account setup, on
> > first run?
> 
> I think we want to show this quickly within the first run.

And not to be disagreeing with myself.  By this I mean I was thinking we could show this just after you've setup your account and are running TB for the first time.  We might conflict with the About Rights notification but perhaps we could push that one back further.


(In reply to comment #6)
> Both the checkbox in the preference pane and the notification bar need a "tell
> me more" link to provide the details of which information is gathered and used
> for which purpose in which way. This must be accessible by the user before in
> order to make an informed decision, you cannot just provide a Yes/No button and
> hope that the user will know what this is all about.

For the checkbox this should be easy, the notification we need to figure something out.  

> Also, if the only information gathered is during the first account setup, why
> isn't the UI presented at that time?

We could try to integrate the checkbox into the dialog but I don't think that's a good time for people to go off reading about our data collection.  Plus we want to give people small tasks that complete successfully and then give them more.  Providing all the options up front at once seems like an easy way to an end but usually overwhelms people into giving up.