Garry’s Mod April 2019 Update Modifies TOS and Adds New Tracking Tool - Sensationalist Headlines

I don't have a problem with this sort of analytics going on, I just don't understand the necessity of this system if it's something Steam already tracks and makes available to developers.

I'm not surprised you're vouching for chinese spying on what we do inside the game because you're the one that said it's absolutely fine if Epic starts reading Steam files that contain personal information. I'm concerned about Mobvista selling it, because that's their business model. If you agree to it, fine, but don't say we're dumbasses for wanting to get out of it. For caring about our privacy.

You're the one pulling bullshit out of thin air assuming that is all the data they collect. Can you please explain how the fuck that data you posted can tell someone that they're a new player, if they have performance issues or what country they're from?

Did you just fucking ignore that GameAnalytics profits by selling this data? I NEVER said the problem was that it identifies your information, the problem is that THEY profit from selling this data. And still, it's awesome how you just act like a fucking Mr. Know-it-all saying all data Steam collects isn't easily obtained by developers. That's fucking delusional from your part, I bet you didn't even care to take a look at the APIs they provide to justify it being "hard".

You do know that there are public APIs that can provide a bunch of other information as well, right? Also, it still doesn't justify saying it's hard to access all this data when all you need is a Steamworks API key and the correct API methods.

Could you define how GameAnalytics provides an API that isn't "clunky"? https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/api/ISteamUserStats#functions https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/webapi/IPlayerService https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/api/ISteamUtils#functions There's also a bunch of other methods that require a token and aren't publicly available on that site. The way I see it you're mad at Steam for some reason and everything a person does that is against Steam you support it. You did this in the EGS thread, you're doing it again for GMod. I want an official reply from @Willox or @garry as to why switch to GameAnalytics if garry himself said all this data is also collected by Steam.

Even if it was true that we're "mad at steam" (which makes no sense) How does using a different analytics API mean we're going against steam? How is this any concern of yours? At this point you're just desperately trying to defend your anti chinese agenda and coming up with a different complaint every time you get called out for lying.

I didn't mention FP being mad at Steam, but the OP. I just want to know, as most of the people complaining about it, why move to a "free" chinese tracking system if Valve already provided this kind of data. And it is my concern because I am a GMod player and I value my privacy, unlike some people here that don't care about theirs.

People essentially saying "This seems fishy and I don't like it" != outrage

This would be a perfect question to answer, why move if steam provides this kind of data?

You have been shown what information is being collected, if you're okay with steam providing an analytics API, why are you against a chinese company providing an analytics API?

Avoiding to tell us the real reason behind the switch just raises more suspicion about why FP did it. Is it that hard to simply tell us why and assure us that they're not just Red Shell renamed?

Why is it so hard to just answer this simple question, you just deflected it completely. We've been shown the data it collects, now why move if steam provided this kind of data

Again this is not your concern, make your own game and ensure you don't use code by chinese programmers if it makes you happy but we're not xenophobes so it doesn't matter.

what an incredible deflection of the question

Are you butt hurt because we are concerned about a game we play? You just accused everyone that is concerned about the decision of being xenophobe. Keep treating it like that, just don't go Randy Bitchfork against people that call you out for raising suspicion about switching over to GameAnalytics if the same data is provided by Steam.

The reason for the move from steam's data analytics to one of a chinese company, Steam is based in the US and follows US laws, I trust that more than anything from China. I love how Layla makes this as some sort of Xenophobia for being against something from China as if I and anyone else against this move hates the chinese. We want to know why not because we're xenophobes, but because chinese companies have to work directly with the government, and they aren't known to be very privacy conscious. Again why move from Steam if it provides the same analytics.

Mr. Knows-it-all strikes again! Are you employed by FP to know the real reason behind it? If yes then problem solved we can all go back to finding ties to Red Shell.

Again, you are deflecting the question, and incredibly badly as well. It makes it look like the company has more going on underneath the hood than what you've shown to the community, this doesn't inspire trust

I never said it is Red Shell with a different name. If I did, would you care to quote my post?

Ok, lets build an actual basis to "but teh chinese" Who knows what you can do with player data. We also don't know why the chinese government has been involved with multiple spy based incidents either before, but I guess they have their motives to do so, much like the government spies on its own population. I'd argue they'd use it to find out how to hook users more easily, much like how EA and Activision for example, have been developing ways to monetize games and make people buy their shit, through matching players with mtx skins and weapons to manipulate players into basicaly going "oh wow I want that". Now I'll talk about what I find to be the funniest thing about net traffic analysis and the whole chinese thing going on not only with this, but the EGS aswell. It's simple, and I'm not here to point a finger at you or anything, saying stuff like "why should I trust you?!", but… Why should I trust your findings? The same way everyone debunked that guy on Reddit that accused the EGS of collecting data, saying it was just some random Redditer, why shouldn't we "debunk" you? Actually, not even you. It's not about you at all, by the way. It's about the programs used to check the results from the small probe done. The other guy's findings were contested, and so should be these. And as I type this, I DO think twice about his findings aswell. And what I come up with is: Why should I trust what an easily accessible program on the web to check net traffic tells me? I've said this before, but I'll say it again. Who's to say that when the leak was plugged, everyone just went "oh we'll get right on it! This is extremely odd, thank you for showing us and we are very sorry!", but in the end, it was a success anyway? Who's to say that, when the next probes were made, nothing was going on either because A- there really was nothing going on because "lay low", or B- shit was going on elsewhere in other ways? Who's to say shit isn't going on when people aren't looking? Does anyone really expect a couple of random people on random places with random public programs to give perfect, irefutable results saying "no theres nothing going on", when probing actions being controlled by The compulsive liar that Tim Sweeney is ("trust me guys, I am the one in charge") Tencent, which I'm pretty sure isn't made of people who don't know what they're doing Anything in which the chinese government has a finger in Please, don't come with "oh you're being racist" kind of shit because you know damn fucking well this has nothing to do with that, and that anything related to the chinese government, is dubious at its very best. But I do find it extremely funny that all the accusations of a random man on the internet, were just shrugged off by another random man on the internet.

And GameAnalytics is a company based in Copenhagen, Denmark. It being acquired by China doesn't mean that it's literally Chinese now. They still follow EU rulings.

This. This is what I'm asking. And this is incredibly funny. Has to be a troll, to have a Tencent logo as the profile pic, and then calling someone a xenophobe for suspecting a chinese company of having suspect doings, after knowing the obvious about most chinese tech companies.

Nice actitude man, you are really good convincing people! Both you and Layla can be more mature and don't treat others like idiots because they have a different opinion. You convince me that both of you are hiding something from us. Stop treating us like idiots and respond us like adults.

Just because they're based in Denmark doesn't mean they're immune from following the rules set forth by the chinese government after being acquired by their now parent company

I don't know what to tell you dude. People have posted proof of what information is being collected, you either agree to it or don't. Honestly this is nothing more than a handful of people that get a kick out of being conspiracy theorists. Find something else to do.

A Danish company doesn't follow Chinese laws just because it's owned by a Chinese based company. So yes they are immune. They're are most likely sharing data between each other.

Awnser our questions instead of reflecting them, and stop treating us like idiots.

Did you even bother to read this post? It's more concerning that they are selling data to the chinese. And even worse, iirc the new GMod privacy policy doesn't comply with the GDPR.

is it in the facepunch company handbook to be condescending towards forum posters or something