The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20170105193347/https://forum.userstyles.org/discussion/53233/announcement-to-the-community

Announcement to the Community

Hi Everyone,

I want to update you guys about something I’ve been working on for the past couple of months.
When I first started working on Stylish, I understood that this product is incredible, but in order to bring it to its full potential, it would require a tremendous amount of resources I just don’t have.

Realizing this made me start looking for a partner that would be a natural fit with Stylish, adding value and helping me achieve my vision for this amazing Product.
I’m proud to announce that Stylish is now part of the SimilarWeb family.
SimilarWeb has a lot of experience with web products and offers much-needed resources, experience, and data including visibility into which are the most popular websites in each country, information that can help us decide which styles to create. On top of that, SimilarWeb sees the great value of the Stylish community, helping it to better understand the digital world. I believe that together we will bring Stylish to its full potential!

Following this partnership, Stylish users will be joining SimilarWeb’s market research panel. However, I understand that not all Stylish users would like to do so. That’s why I’ve made it easy to opt out of from joining the panel, straight from the Stylish Settings page. You can read more details in the updated Privacy Policy page. You’re welcome to check it out and contact me if you have any questions:
https://userstyles.org/login/policy

I will, of course, continue working on Stylish, only now alongside a talented team that will back me up.

Comments

  • Are we pretending this is a new development? Great news everybody! Stylish now belongs to an analytics company! I wonder if @JasonBarnabe knew, or cared. Yuck.
  • Can tracking and ad sense be far behind? I'm not clear on what's wrong with me writing a CSS simply because I'm interested in the site.
  • edited January 3 Firefox
    I don't understand #1 here, or maybe I don't understand how it's a service to a Stylish extension user:
    OPT OUT RIGHT
    Even after providing your consent to this Privacy Policy, you are entitled to change your mind. If you do, you may opt out of the data collection and sharing process (by deselecting the checkbox next to the words 'by deselecting the checkbox next to the words 'Send anonymous data to Stylish developers' in the 'Manage Styles' section of the Stylish extension). After you opt out, we will no longer collect and share your data as described in this Privacy Policy. Note that once you opt out, part of the Services provided by Stylish will no longer be available, meaning 1) install count won't be save; and 2) Suggested Web Styles won't be available in the extension interface.
    Does that mean: if "some user" has opted out of data collection, when she/he installs a style, her/his install is not counted by userstyles.org (or SimilarWeb)? Or does it mean something else?

    That whole section could use a careful proofreading... actually, the whole document is a bit incoherent.
  • edited January 4 Firefox

    [...] Stylish users will be joining SimilarWeb’s market research panel. However, I understand that not all Stylish users would like to do so. That’s why I’ve made it easy to opt out of from joining the panel, straight from the Stylish Settings page. [...]

    About:
    https://www.similarweb.com
    https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/similarweb-sites-recommendatio/
    https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/similarweb-site-traffic-s/hoklmmgfnpapgjgcpechhaamimifchmp?hl=en
    Not a fan of the business model you adhere to, but as long as you play fair, in the clear, and real opt-out is given, I won't have problems with that. In the end your behavior will always be counterbalanced by the possibility of the arising of an alternative fork/development competing for your users and style-developers, and the styles "belong" to the style-developers.

    [...] You can read more details in the updated Privacy Policy page. You’re welcome to check it out and contact me if you have any questions:
    https://userstyles.org/login/policy [...]

    1. "... if you wish to be part of the Stylish Community you will need to become a registered user..."
    "... creating customized “Web Styles” and uploading and sharing them with other users ("Stylish Community") solely for personal non-commercial use..."
    What's this meaning?, until now we share styles in the open Internet through your platform, being them "Stylish Community" or not, for the uses we define in our license, including commercial ones if we allow them, although we don't make business selling anything in userstyles.org (maybe you're referring to this, then you should make it more clear) while we may accept donations.
    Also, is this meaning soon userstyles.org styles may be close fenced to be accessed only with Stylish installed?

    2. A sentence is reapeated:
    "... you may opt out of the data collection and sharing process (by deselecting the checkbox next to the words 'by deselecting the checkbox next to the words 'Send anonymous data to Stylish developers' in the 'Manage Styles' section of the Stylish extension)..."

    3. "... Note that once you opt out, part of the Services provided by Stylish will no longer be available, meaning 1) install count won't be save;..."
    probably should be
    "... install count won't be saved;..." or maybe "... install count won't be showed;..."
    Also, what does mean? for a styles-developer opting-out, is it meaning userstyles.org won't provide install statistics of their own styles or any other?, if that's the case I don't find it fair provided the site generates revenue by ads. Or is this only for non-style-developer users? Have I misunderstood this? Could it be more explicit?

    4. "... In the event you do not agree to the aforesaid collection, use and sharing of data, please immediately cease using the Service and remove Stylish Extension from your Chrome browser..."
    I suppose this won't affect only to Chrome users.
  • Stylish is doomed.
    Jason, you're a traitor.
  • Jefferson said:

    I don't understand #1 here, or maybe I don't understand how it's a service to a Stylish extension user:

    OPT OUT RIGHT
    Even after providing your consent to this Privacy Policy, you are entitled to change your mind. If you do, you may opt out of the data collection and sharing process (by deselecting the checkbox next to the words 'by deselecting the checkbox next to the words 'Send anonymous data to Stylish developers' in the 'Manage Styles' section of the Stylish extension). After you opt out, we will no longer collect and share your data as described in this Privacy Policy. Note that once you opt out, part of the Services provided by Stylish will no longer be available, meaning 1) install count won't be save; and 2) Suggested Web Styles won't be available in the extension interface.
    Does that mean: if "some user" has opted out of data collection, when she/he installs a style, her/his install is not counted by userstyles.org (or SimilarWeb)? Or does it mean something else?

    That whole section could use a careful proofreading... actually, the whole document is a bit incoherent.
    Hi Jefferson,

    To answer your question, yes, it means that opted out users won't be counted in the style install count. This is actually an old feature that was always there.

    Thanks for bringing my to attention the typo. The sentence must have been pasted twice by mistake. Will fix it.
  • strel said:

    [...] Stylish users will be joining SimilarWeb’s market research panel. However, I understand that not all Stylish users would like to do so. That’s why I’ve made it easy to opt out of from joining the panel, straight from the Stylish Settings page. [...]

    About:
    https://www.similarweb.com
    https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/similarweb-sites-recommendatio/
    https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/similarweb-site-traffic-s/hoklmmgfnpapgjgcpechhaamimifchmp?hl=en
    Not a fan of the business model you adhere to, but as long as you play fair, in the clear, and real opt-out is given, I won't have problems with that. In the end your behavior will always be counterbalanced by the possibility of the arising of an alternative fork/development competing for your users and style-developers, and the styles "belong" to the style-developers.

    [...] You can read more details in the updated Privacy Policy page. You’re welcome to check it out and contact me if you have any questions:
    https://userstyles.org/login/policy [...]

    1. "... if you wish to be part of the Stylish Community you will need to become a registered user..."
    "... creating customized “Web Styles” and uploading and sharing them with other users ("Stylish Community") solely for personal non-commercial use..."
    What's this meaning?, until now we share styles in the open Internet through your platform, being them "Stylish Community" or not, for the uses we define in our license, including commercial ones if we allow them, although we don't make business selling anything in userstyles.org (maybe you're referring to this, then you should make it more clear) while we may accept donations.
    Also, is this meaning soon userstyles.org styles may be close fenced to be accessed only with Stylish installed?
    Nothing has changed. You still determine your own license level and if someone copies your style without your permission, you can contact that person to complain, or contact me if that person doesn't reply. Donations are also still permitted, just as before. Does this answer your question.
    strel said:


    2. A sentence is reapeated:
    "... you may opt out of the data collection and sharing process (by deselecting the checkbox next to the words 'by deselecting the checkbox next to the words 'Send anonymous data to Stylish developers' in the 'Manage Styles' section of the Stylish extension)..."

    Thanks for letting me know.
    strel said:



    3. "... Note that once you opt out, part of the Services provided by Stylish will no longer be available, meaning 1) install count won't be save;..."
    probably should be
    "... install count won't be saved;..." or maybe "... install count won't be showed;..."
    Also, what does mean? for a styles-developer opting-out, is it meaning userstyles.org won't provide install statistics of their own styles or any other?, if that's the case I don't find it fair provided the site generates revenue by ads. Or is this only for non-style-developer users? Have I misunderstood this? Could it be more explicit?

    No, you'll still be able to see install count for your created styles. What it means is that people that opted out won't contribute to this number. This has always been like this, nothing has changed in that regard.
    strel said:


    4. "... In the event you do not agree to the aforesaid collection, use and sharing of data, please immediately cease using the Service and remove Stylish Extension from your Chrome browser..."
    I suppose this won't affect only to Chrome users.

    This sentence is kind of a must have in any privacy policy page. The easiest thing to do, if you don't want to share anonymous data, is just opting out and continue using Stylish just as you did before.


    Bottom line, you guys have full control on what's shared and what's not. On the other hand, we're gaining amazing resources that will help improve Stylish and grow it to its full potential.
    Trying to take Stylish on as one person, while keeping everyone happy, proved to be very hard. That's why I believe that this change is only for the best and I promise you to continue being completely open with you guys and keeping you updated with any change.
  • Long time Stylish user here, but hadn't created an account before.
    Just created one to say this is utter disgusting.I use this extension to get themes, not to be data mined by an advertising company.

    No, having an opt-out is not good enough. Most users won't ever see your post and will have privacy-invading code enabled by default.

    This is on pair with Nvidia putting telemetry on a fucking video driver.
  • Can't say this announcement pleases me, but if it keeps this website alive and helps with keeping Stylish in Firefox being kept up-to-date I have no real complaints.

    Of course, it would be nice if some "maintenance" was done around here, as far as weeding out the older crap from days-gone-by in some manner, and some new features were added to UserStyles.org, like Firefox version numbers as way of searching for applicable Styles.

    Ed
  • edited 12:21AM Chrome
    Privacy and Security should be top priorities. I do not consent to share anything with this 3rd party company.

    https://www.ghacks.net/2017/01/04/major-stylish-add-on-changes-in-regards-to-privacy/

    Read the comments.
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