Existing users, 
We don't collect information about other software installed on user's machines.
When you send a bug report, depending on the type of bug you report, it may include a standard Apple System Profile report, as generated by Apple's System Profiler application. This DOES include information about other installed applications...
The above contradictory paragraphs are from the developer's post below. One either collects user information, or one does not. Developer, you admit collecting such information, but say that you do not. Do you think customers are stupid?
dennis19 is absolutely correct; regardless of the developer's present good intent (he does seem a bit cocky, though), any future acquirer of the developer's business or database assets, or any change in developer's privacy policy, puts customers (legit or not) at risk.
Developer, 1.) notify all customers both before initial program installation, and at the time of execution, of any and all user information that you collect from time-to-time; and 2.) add to your privacy policy that any such user information collected will be destroyed upon completion of the customer service event. Furthermore, add to your privacy policy that this part or the privacy policy will never be changed (that way we can sue your ass if you abuse the policy).
You are in business now, subject to many legal hurdles. Be nice, and be legal. Oh, and stop lying in plain daylight, and quit collecting customer data without explicit customer permission.
iDefrag
Defragmentation & disk optimization.
Version: 1.7.2
Developer Spews Bunk!
Feedback Type: Commentary
Contributed by: WetApple Wednesday, February 02 2005 @ 09:47 AM PST
Product Platform: MacOSX
Used Product For: Have Not Tried
Recommend Product: NO
Comments
Ironic that you call us "paranoid" - Alastair_Houghton_882
well well... in the developer's twisted view most people who use Little Snitch are software pirates, so all this fits neatly into a picture: Paranoia -- don't trust anybody, and certainly don't trust your customers.
We find it extremely ironic that you call us paranoid. You're the one running Little Snitch and going on about how concerned you are that we're infringing your privacy and might be up to no good.
We do trust our customers; if we didn't, then our software would take steps to enforce our license agreement (like checking that there is only a single copy running at any one time - plenty of other software does this, but ours doesn't). And this despite the fact that some of them have turned out to be less than trustworthy (a couple have distributed our software illegally, and a couple more have distributed their license keys).
And as for Little Snitch being used primarily to assist in the risk-free piracy of software, I think there is plenty of evidence for that. The fact that most software pirates and piracy sites recommend it, for example.
Saturday, February 05 2005 @ 09:19 AM PST
*Commenter* Spews Bunk! - Alastair_Houghton_882
As stated before, we don't collect information about other software installed on user's machines. It is present in the system profile reports that some customers send us when they report bugs, but we don't actually collect it (if we did, we would have a database that we entered it into... we do not; we don't care what other software is on your machine, unless it's causing you a problem and you're a paying customer). As I said previously, information sent by a customer as part of a bug report is only used to help resolve the problem they are having, and not for any other purpose. We don't collect it up anywhere, we don't sell it or give it to anyone else.
any future acquirer of the developer's business or database assets, or any change in developer's privacy policy, puts customers (legit or not) at risk.
Utter rubbish. We operate within the E.U., which means we have to comply with strict laws governing the use and dissemination of customers' information. This includes rules on what must happen should our assets pass to a third party.
Oh, and stop lying in plain daylight, and quit collecting customer data without explicit customer permission.
We aren't "lying in plain daylight", and we don't collect customer data without permission. The only time information might leave your machine without you explicitly giving permission is if you try to pirate our software, and that is entirely your fault. Unless you bought the software, you shouldn't even have a copy of it, let alone a pirated registration key, so you can't even trigger the code in question. In fact, it's impossible for you to trigger the code without an illegal key.
I really don't see why this is all so hard for you to understand.
Saturday, February 05 2005 @ 08:46 AM PST
Developer Spews Bunk! - bonobo
well well... in the developer's twisted view most people who use Little Snitch are software pirates, so all this fits neatly into a picture: Paranoia -- don't trust anybody, and certainly don't trust your customers.What a pity.
On the other hand, there *are* some software developers who really appreciate being on good terms with their customers.
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Friday, February 04 2005 @ 06:48 PM PST