Edit: I corrected the URL as it got mangled in my first post
On our webserver, we compare the "product" and "patch" values that NeoOffice sent us to a file that has the latest values. If they match, you get the "no action is required at this time". If they don't match, we display links to the latest version and/or patch.
Patrick
Last edited by pluby on Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:21 am; edited 1 time in total
Joined: Apr 25, 2006 Posts: 2315 Location: Montpellier, France
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:17 am Post subject:
MMG wrote:
How in fact does "we" verify it?
Do they come in and look around?
Actually, "we" go out and look around (not "come in"). NeoOffice knows which version and patch you are using, and connects to the NeoOffice website to compare it with what's currently available, and notifies you of whether you're using the latest patch/version or not.
Every time you install a new version or patch of NeoOffice, the installer updates this file and the data in this file is displayed in NeoOffice's Help :: About dialog.
2. NeoOffice gets the latest available version from our website. We put the latest version and patch release on this website whenever we release a new version or patch.
Thanks for your patience, Patrick.
But I think I have put the question quite simply.
Does Neo get the information it needs off of my hard drive?
Does it enter my computer to gather this data?
mmg
Thanks for your patience, Patrick.
But I think I have put the question quite simply.
Does Neo get the information it needs off of my hard drive?
Does it enter my computer to gather this data?
mmg
And I have answered it quite simply. To quote from my last post:
"NeoOffice reads its own "version information" configuration file. This file is on your hard drive..."
No offense, but your "does it enter my computer?" question makes me think that you are not aware of how your Mac works. After all, to get to this point, you downloaded the NeoOffice installer, installed it ("install" means "put NeoOffice on your hard drive"), and launched it ("launched" means "run it from your hard drive") by double-clicking the NeoOffice icon on your hard drive.
If any of the above worries you or confuses you, I recommend that you remove NeoOffice from your computer by dragging the NeoOffice icon into the Trash Can and emptying your Trash Can. Once you do this, NeoOffice will no longer be on your hard drive.
First, I find NeoOffice to be a very elegant program. It gives me a great deal of pleasure to use it.
Second, I don't like ridiculous arguments on forums.
Third, my knowledge of my mac is at least serviceable. I've been using it as a platform for Avid and FCP for longer than a decade.
Finally, you say you are trying to make this simple for me--which I appreciate. But I have asked several ways now, a question that really only requires a yes or no answer. Does Neo go into my hard drive to gather information "to benefit me?"
Put even more bluntly. Doesn't that raise issues of security and privacy? Since I am a bit naive technically, do other programs do this as a matter of course? And, not to get overly personal, doesn't the issue of privacy matter to you?
But if you don't feel the need to go into any of this with me, yes or no, does Neo examine my hard drive.
Joined: Apr 25, 2006 Posts: 2315 Location: Montpellier, France
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:57 am Post subject:
MMG wrote:
Does Neo go into my hard drive to gather information "to benefit me?"
But of course it looks on your hard drive! But your question makes no sense, because NeoOffice doesn't go "into" your hard drive, since it's already there (in/on your hard drive). It's like asking whether Mr. X enters a room to gather info, when he's already in that room…
NeoOffice's patch checking mechanims is no different from Apple's Software Update: it looks on your hard drive to determine which version of NeoOffice you're using, then queries the NeoOffice website (without sending your info - it actually requests info from the website) to know which version is the latest available, and compares it to the version you're using. It will then tell you whether you're up-to-date or not.
Joined: Jun 20, 2006 Posts: 2051 Location: Midwest, USA
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 10:00 am Post subject:
If you are asking: "Does Neooffice scan my entire hard drive looking for update information?" or "Does the neoooffice.org website scan my harddrive to check for patches." I would say, based on the information Patrick provided, the answer is no.
NeoOffice checks a file within its own application package (and that app is on your hard drive) for the info it needs to check for current patches.
The exact mechanism probably varies between applications, but most of the applications I use have some sort of "check for current updates" that must, by definition, check somewhere on your drive (presumably in its application package) as part of checking the current update.
Lorinda
Edit: corrected post based on Samwise's information.
Neo on my drive SENDS OUT an occasional message, in effect:
"Here's my last update, am I still current?"
And Neo on the web answers back, "Yes you are" or "No you're not!"
But the mechanism that checks hos current is already on my drive--
and no one is coming into my mac and saying, I gotta look around.
Oh, and I'll grab your bank records while I'm here (for those of us lucky enough to have bank records)????
Yes, your description of the process is correct. In retrospect, probably the key piece of data that I didn't communicate when I was describing the process was that only that single NeoOffice file is read from your hard drive and NeoOffice does not go searching through the rest of your hard drive.
Although this is probably overkill, here is a complete list of all of the folders that NeoOffice ever opens on your hard drive. Any folders or files outside of these particular folders are never touched:
1. The NeoOffice application folder (the /Applications/NeoOffice.app folder)
2. The NeoOffice user preferences folder (the Library/Preferences/NeoOffice-2.2 subfolder in your Home folder)
3. Any documents that you explicitly open in NeoOffice (selecting the File :: Open menu, dragging a document from the Finder to the NeoOffice icon, etc.)
Note that the NeoOffice installer also restricts itself to the first two folders.
Joined: May 25, 2003 Posts: 4752 Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 10:53 am Post subject:
Yes you are correct; it is your machine that initiates the communication not the other way around.
You can disable the patch checking mechanism, but remember that you really should always keep software patched to get all the latest bugfixes. That goes both for our software as well as that from other vendors (e.g. Apple!).
Apple's Software Update is much more "invasive" when scanning things on the computer and processes much more than just a few strings out of a single file on disk.
The only way to be truly private and secure is to unplug the network cable from your Mac. That goes for any OS, not just Macs.
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