Calibre Census?

gingerbeardman · 11-28-2017, 12:31 PM

Are there any official statistics published about what devices people are using with calibre?

What percentage Kindle, Kobo, Boox, Bookeen, Sony, etc.

I'm really interested to understand the user base.

HarryT · 11-28-2017, 12:49 PM

How could there be? Calibre doesn't "report back" to someone what device is connected to it.

BetterRed · 11-28-2017, 02:42 PM

These are the statistics calibre does collect ==>> calibre - Usage Statistics - counts by country and OS, but not by device.

BR

gingerbeardman · 11-28-2017, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

These are the statistics calibre does collect ==>> calibre - Usage Statistics - counts by country and OS, but not by device.

Excellent, thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

How could there be? Calibre doesn't "report back" to someone what device is connected to it.

It seems you were incorrect.

HarryT · 11-28-2017, 05:31 PM

No, I was not incorrect. Calibre does not report on what devices are connected to it.

haertig · 11-28-2017, 06:05 PM

As evidenced by the link, Calibre does indeed "phone home" and upload end user data. The data displayed on the linked webpage only shows Country, Version, and OS but that doesn't mean Calibre does not upload other data too (and it's just not displayed).

I always turn off "phone home" behavior in software if there's a setting to do that because I consider it an invasion of privacy, even if what is displayed publicly (as in the Calibre link) is innocuous - since you never know what ELSE is being uploaded and collected. Even if there is a "do not upload" setting, that does not mean that the software will heed your request. Calibre does not appear to have such a setting to disable end user tracking, not that I could find. I guess this loss of privacy is the price you have to pay for using software. Both free and paid software can stomp on privacy. Another thought - anything from Google or Amazon is probably violating you in more ways that you care to know!

HarryT · 11-28-2017, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haertig

I always turn off "phone home" behavior in software if there's a setting to do that because I consider it an invasion of privacy, even if what is displayed publicly (as in the Calibre link) is innocuous - since you never know what ELSE is being uploaded and collected.

Calibre is open source. You can look at the source code and see for yourself if you think that the documentation (which tells you exactly what's being collected - and always has done) is lying.

haertig · 11-28-2017, 07:20 PM

I never said Calibre documentation was lying. I was obviously speaking generically, about software in general. If I were worried about a specific program, I wouldn't be running it.

I wouldn't waste my time reviewing source code, although I am capable of that if I wanted to. I simply would find a different piece of software. If you feel the need to review the source code because you think it's untrustworthy, then I submit that you still wouldn't trust it 100%, even after reviewing the code - all ten bazillion lines of it, given something as complex as Calibre (I highly doubt it's a 100 line shell script...)

BetterRed · 11-28-2017, 07:58 PM

It also keeps track of News recipe usage see =>> https://calibre-ebook.com/dynamic/recipe-usage

None of this is secret - it's on the calibre About page.

BR

Pizza_Cant_Read · 11-28-2017, 11:24 PM

calibre is the only software I allow to phone home. Maybe I will disable it later but I am still in the lovey-dovey honeymoon stage with this product and I look forward to seeing how it improves.

sealbeater · 12-05-2017, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haertig

I guess this loss of privacy is the price you have to pay for using software. Both free and paid software can stomp on privacy. Another thought - anything from Google or Amazon is probably violating you in more ways that you care to know!

Before I was even aware of Calibre phoning home, I make a point to run software though Tor. If you are on linux, you can use the program "proxychains" to pipe any network connections though Tor.

I was very glad I did so when I found out that Calibre phoned home.

11-28-2017, 12:31 PM	#1
gingerbeardman Zealot Posts: 129 Karma: 1001024 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Cornwall, UK Device: Various Sony Readers, Kobo Touch Edition, iPhone	Calibre Census? Are there any official statistics published about what devices people are using with calibre? What percentage Kindle, Kobo, Boox, Bookeen, Sony, etc. I'm really interested to understand the user base.

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11-28-2017, 12:49 PM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	How could there be? Calibre doesn't "report back" to someone what device is connected to it.

11-28-2017, 02:42 PM	#3
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 20,568 Karma: 26954694 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	These are the statistics calibre does collect ==>> calibre - Usage Statistics - counts by country and OS, but not by device. BR

11-28-2017, 05:31 PM	#5
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	No, I was not incorrect. Calibre does not report on what devices are connected to it.

11-28-2017, 06:05 PM	#6
haertig Wizard Posts: 1,738 Karma: 26006874 Join Date: Sep 2017 Device: PW3, Fire HD8 Gen7, Moto G7, Sansa Clip v2, Ruizu X26	As evidenced by the link, Calibre does indeed "phone home" and upload end user data. The data displayed on the linked webpage only shows Country, Version, and OS but that doesn't mean Calibre does not upload other data too (and it's just not displayed). I always turn off "phone home" behavior in software if there's a setting to do that because I consider it an invasion of privacy, even if what is displayed publicly (as in the Calibre link) is innocuous - since you never know what ELSE is being uploaded and collected. Even if there is a "do not upload" setting, that does not mean that the software will heed your request. Calibre does not appear to have such a setting to disable end user tracking, not that I could find. I guess this loss of privacy is the price you have to pay for using software. Both free and paid software can stomp on privacy. Another thought - anything from Google or Amazon is probably violating you in more ways that you care to know!

11-28-2017, 07:20 PM	#8
haertig Wizard Posts: 1,738 Karma: 26006874 Join Date: Sep 2017 Device: PW3, Fire HD8 Gen7, Moto G7, Sansa Clip v2, Ruizu X26	I never said Calibre documentation was lying. I was obviously speaking generically, about software in general. If I were worried about a specific program, I wouldn't be running it. I wouldn't waste my time reviewing source code, although I am capable of that if I wanted to. I simply would find a different piece of software. If you feel the need to review the source code because you think it's untrustworthy, then I submit that you still wouldn't trust it 100%, even after reviewing the code - all ten bazillion lines of it, given something as complex as Calibre (I highly doubt it's a 100 line shell script...)

11-28-2017, 07:58 PM	#9
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 20,568 Karma: 26954694 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	It also keeps track of News recipe usage see =>> https://calibre-ebook.com/dynamic/recipe-usage None of this is secret - it's on the calibre About page. BR

11-28-2017, 11:24 PM	#10
Pizza_Cant_Read Sentient Sauce Posts: 460 Karma: 2519794 Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: China Device: 9th Gen Oasis	calibre is the only software I allow to phone home. Maybe I will disable it later but I am still in the lovey-dovey honeymoon stage with this product and I look forward to seeing how it improves.

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