fflogs and privacy

[Valence]

As you may know fflogs doesn't work on an opt-in model: you have to actually register to opt-out and have your pages set to private, and in fact data about your character and performance is stored and displayed publicly without any consent for everyone unregistered. After seeing that fiasco with that third party mod exploiting the blacklist system, and fflogs also working on a similar opt-in model, this reminded me that I've always found this a little concerning in the first place.

I know SE has little control over external websites, but I do think they still hold some modicum of power into what that can declare "cool" or "not cool".

I'd respectfully ask SE if we can finally have a piece of their mind on this. Thanks.

[Menriq]

As you may know fflogs doesn't work on an opt-in model: you have to actually register to opt-out and have your pages set to private, and in fact data about your character and performance is stored and displayed publicly without any consent for everyone unregistered. After seeing that fiasco with that third party mod exploiting the blacklist system, and fflogs also working on a similar opt-in model, this reminded me that I've always found this a little concerning in the first place.

I know SE has little control over external websites, but I do think they still hold some modicum of power into what that can declare "cool" or "not cool".

I'd respectfully ask SE if we can finally have a piece of their mind on this. Thanks.

I'm legitimately curious. How would you expect them to control an external website? They've already declared addons are not approved.

[Kes13a]

I'm legitimately curious. How would you expect them to control an external website? They've already declared addons are not approved.

well, I am sure that they dont get the information out of the aether, so that means that they are accessing FFXIV information from the servers.

SE, since they are THEIR servers could close that loophole.

they dont need to control the external website at all... they need to control their own information on their own servers

[Kaurhz]

As you may know fflogs doesn't work on an opt-in model (you have to actually register to opt-out and have your pages set to private). After seeing that fiasco with that third party mod exploiting the blacklist system, and fflogs also working on a similar opt-in model, this reminded me that I've always found this a little concerning in the first place.

I know SE has little control over external websites, but I do think they still hold some modicum of power into what that can declare "cool" or "not cool".

I'd respectfully ask SE if we can finally have a piece of their mind on this. Thanks.

In an ideal universe I do think the opt-in model would be preferable for anything that is collecting data on another player, but in the case of this specific site, I don't see it as detrimental, inherently anyway.

The problem you would have with this specific site is that the use of it is just so normalized.

SE does need to do something anyway, especially in the instance of privacy, as this is one of those situations where the community has near enough unilaterally gone "No, this is too much, it is too far", so it's well up to Square Enix as to what level they do or don't condone such tools. If they maintain the hands off and ignoring approach that they have historically done, then I do think it will only get more invasive since someone has now opened that genie bottle.

I get enforcing it is not easy, but at this point they aren't even trying to create a deterrent beyond that obligatory entry in the ToS.

[Menriq]

well, I am sure that they dont get the information out of the aether, so that means that they are accessing FFXIV information from the servers.

SE, since they are THEIR servers could close that loophole.

they dont need to control the external website at all... they need to control their own information on their own servers

The current addons aren't accessing the server. They are getting the information that is sent to the client.

[Hanayumi]

As far as im concerned theyve already mentioned it time and time again, "All good" just dont use it to abuse others as that could be bannable offense. As for fflogs its not a mod at all it just reads data, and as far as they're concerned would be way... to costly to continuously encrypt, so basically they have to turn a blind eye until it stirs up enough trouble.

[AvoSturmfaust]

OFC who thought about it, there is ESOLogs, WoWLogs, the same Site has something for so many MMOs and its accepted everywhere from the playerbase but ofc the Final Fantasy Player are crying yet again about it

[Teno]

OFC who thought about it, there is ESOLogs, WoWLogs, the same Site has something for so many MMOs and its accepted everywhere from the playerbase but ofc the Final Fantasy Player are crying yet again about it

People "cry about it" on these other games too.

[AvoSturmfaust]

People "cry about it" on these other games too.

not in the same extend as FF Players do it, and i played all of them many many years, yea you always have some people crying but in final it starts to get to a absurd amount of crybabys

[Kes13a]

ahhh, that makes some sense. Thank you ^^

so having to manually opt out is basically a retroactive blanking of your data on someone elses data.

still, its SE's client isnt it? lol

either way, if there are privacy concerns, it falls to SE to sort it out