Do_not_track

A fresh little proposal called DO_NOT_TRACK sounds almost absurdly simple: instead of memorizing a dozen different secret switches to stop apps and command-line tools from sending usage data home, you set one universal preference — DO_NOT_TRACK=1 — and software is supposed to back off. In plain English: one global “please leave me alone” sign for your computer. Cue applause... and immediate drama.

The loudest reaction? People are deeply split on whether this should even exist as an opt-out at all. One camp says the real scandal is that so many tools quietly collect data unless you stop them. As one commenter basically put it, we’re now so used to being watched that default tracking barely shocks anyone anymore — which they called downright creepy. Another faction hates the very name, arguing that “do not track” is awkward, negative, and feels like a double-negative brain teaser. Their preferred vibe: something more like ALLOW_TRACKING=0.

Then there’s the doomposting. One commenter said this has “the same fate” as browser Do Not Track — aka a polite request many companies famously ignored. Ouch. But the funniest tension came from developers themselves: one admitted telemetry would genuinely help them understand users, but opt-out could trigger a backlash while opt-in makes the numbers useless. Translation: everyone wants privacy, nobody wants bad data, and the comments section turned that into a mini morality play.