Google Labs has released a new online tool which should prove useful to web designers and UI developers. "Browser Size" is designed to show web developers which parts of a site visitors can see without scrolling. The result is a graphic visualisation of the percentage of users who can see specific parts of a page, and at what sizes the content can be viewed.
Excluding your Plugin from WordPress Update Checks
There are several reasons why a plugin developer may wish to exclude their plugins from inclusion in the WordPress update check. Preventing leakage of private data is one reason. Avoiding name collisions with plugins in the WordPress.org repository (and the risk of clients accidentally overwriting a custom plugin during an update), is another.
This simple code snippet will exclude a plugin from the update array.
What Data Does WordPress Send Back to the Mothership
When WordPress phones home what data does it send back to the mothership? Is it a privacy concern? Most WordPress users are unaware that any personally-identifying data is sent when WordPress runs its update checks. Permission is not sought so most of us probably assume that the only data going out is the minimum needed for the update check to function. Assumptions are great things - until they cause you to inadvertantly disclose far more information than you ever intended anyone else to have.
Matt Mullenweg responded to community concerns over privacy in this comment. He has since said "it was meant as a satire to lighten up the discussion a bit, people seem to be getting a bit serious". Well, personal privacy is a serious matter so, in this post, I set out to disclose the details of the information that gets sent back to the mothership.
WordPress Phone Home & Privacy
Whether WordPress meets the definition of spyware or not the fact remains that, when anyone uses WordPress, personal and personally-identifying data is sent back to the wordpress.org servers without notice and without any options for giving consent.
Most WordPress users are unaware that data is being collected from their servers every 12 hours or so. This has serious implications for privacy.
Read on to see what data is collected and what you can do to protect your privacy.
Need Your Help
Elpie cannot replace her fried PC without help so if you value her work in open source or with this blog, or the support she gives freely, please consider making a donation towards the cost of a replacement PC.
Read on to see how to make a donation that will help enable the purchase of a replacement computer, and how Elpie intends to show her thanks in return. (Yes, there is something in it for you, apart from the satisfaction of helping out!)
All donations will be used solely towards the cost of a new desktop PC, including monitor. All donors will be acknowledged here and a full accounting of the use of the funds will be given.
