X-Git-Url: http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/ucgi/~yarrgweb/git?a=blobdiff_plain;f=pctb%2FREADME.privacy;fp=pctb%2FREADME.privacy;h=aa98ae85a862ff189b35d167765a023205b9e847;hb=cde017ed6b76840ce2ae1aa5fc740a6e06352f92;hp=0000000000000000000000000000000000000000;hpb=9739f45fc783a87f02d1f435cf04fde3899ad4c7;p=ypp-sc-tools.db-live.git diff --git a/pctb/README.privacy b/pctb/README.privacy new file mode 100644 index 0000000..aa98ae8 --- /dev/null +++ b/pctb/README.privacy @@ -0,0 +1,111 @@ +Communications with servers - and your privacy +============================================== + +The Special Circumstances YPP PCTB client talks to two different +servers for different purposes. + +(The information below is true if you invoke the system using the main +`ypp-commodities' program. If you want to know the relationships +between it and its various helper programs, and the specific +behaviours of the helpers, you'll have to read the source. Sorry.) + + +1. PCTB server +============== + +This records everyone's uploads of commodity prices and allows you to +conveniently search for good trade routes using the PCTB website. + +We upload to the PCTB server if you select the --upload option, and +not otherwise. + +We also query the PCTB server to determine possible island names, if +we don't recognise the island and want to ask you about it. It is not +currently possible to disable this behaviour, but if you don't select +an operating mode (like --upload) which needs to know your island, it +won't happen. + + +2. YPP SC PCTB client dictionary server +======================================= + +This server maintains the master database of character and island name +images, which is used for the commodity screen OCR and also for +determining your island name. + +By default, we ask the server for an updated set of dictionaries every +time we run; this is done with the rsync protocol (indeed, by invoking +rsync). You can disable this with --dict-local-only. + +If we find a screen display we don't understand, we will ask you about +it by popping up a window which allows you to select the island (or +provide character set information - see README.charset). Your answers +to these questions are recorded locally and will be used by your +client in future. + +By default, these dictionary updates are also submitted to my server. +That allows me to check them; if they are correct, I will include them +in the master database so that everyone gets the benefit of them. +If there are any incorrect submissions, I can contradict them in the +master database so that your client will automatically behave +correctly anyway. + +So, thanks for your help! + + +Dictionary submissions (uploads) include your pirate name by default +-------------------------------------------------------------------- + +These dictionary submissions are reported to me along with the ocean +name and your pirate name. + +I will only use this to talk to you about your dictionary submissions +(for example, to let you know if you have made a mistake, or to thank +you for your contributions). + +However, if you prefer to be anonymous, you can tell your PCTB client +not to mention your pirate name (in the GUI, or with the --dict-anon +option). In this case I won't see your ocean or your pirate name, +although of course the actual images in your submissions may reveal +your island and thus your ocean. + + +User interface for privacy +-------------------------- + +The dictionary submission feature, and whether to quote your pirate +identity, is exposed in and controllable from the dictionary update +GUI, for maximum visibility. The settings in the GUI are not recorded +anywhere from one run to the next; instead the initial settings in the +GUI come from the --dict-* privacy options. See the table of options +in the README for details. + +Having said all that, please do not upload data to the PCTB server +without also participating in dictionary sharing. If you don't update +your dictionary, your parses may be wrong and thus the data you upload +to PCTB may be wrong. If you don't submit your dictionary entries, +any mistakes you make will remain uncorrected. + + +Records kept +------------ + +I keep a permanent log of all the submissions, including date, time, +submitting pirate or IP address, and YPP SC PCTB client version.. +This is so that I have enough information to go back and fix things if +anything goes badly wrong (for example, if a particular client is +broken). + +My system probably also records your IP address when your client +fetches new master dictionaries; those logs are used only for +debugging the rsync server (which also serves many other files), and +they are routinely expired. + +The information about the source of a submissions doesn't appear in +the dictionaries as available for download, so other people won't +know you're using my program. + +I don't know what records the actual PCTB server keeps, but the upload +process tells the server your ocean and island name, and your PCTB +upload client version number (including the fact that it's this Linux +client). The PCTB server is not told your pirate name.