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www/proprietary malware-games.html proprietary-...
|
From: |
Therese Godefroy |
|
Subject: |
www/proprietary malware-games.html proprietary-... |
|
Date: |
Tue, 25 Feb 2020 08:01:41 -0500 (EST) |
CVSROOT: /webcvs/www
Module name: www
Changes by: Therese Godefroy <th_g> 20/02/25 08:01:41
Modified files:
proprietary : malware-games.html proprietary-addictions.html
proprietary/workshop: mal.rec targets.rec
Log message:
Reorganize general info about addictineness; remove it from mal.rec.
CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/proprietary/malware-games.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.48&r2=1.49
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.24&r2=1.25
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/proprietary/workshop/mal.rec?cvsroot=www&r1=1.190&r2=1.191
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/proprietary/workshop/targets.rec?cvsroot=www&r1=1.16&r2=1.17
Patches:
Index: malware-games.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/proprietary/malware-games.html,v
retrieving revision 1.48
retrieving revision 1.49
diff -u -b -r1.48 -r1.49
--- malware-games.html 15 Feb 2020 17:13:53 -0000 1.48
+++ malware-games.html 25 Feb 2020 13:01:37 -0000 1.49
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@
<hr class="thin" />
</div>
+<p>Among the numerous malicious functionalities that are found in games,
+<a href="/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html#addictiveness">
+addictiveness</a> may be the worst, because it doesn't only affect users
+materially, but also psychologically.</p>
+
<div class="important">
<p>If you know of an example that ought to be in this page but isn't
here, please write
@@ -50,79 +55,6 @@
<div class="column-limit" id="malware-games"></div>
-<ul class="blurbs">
- <li id="M209900000">
- <p>Many <span>games</span> are designed to
- keep gamers compulsively playing—and renewing
- their subscription. To achieve this result, developers use <a
-
href="http://www.cracked.com/article_18461_5-creepy-ways-video-games-are-trying-to-get-you-addicted.html";>
- techniques that derive from behavioral and brain research</a>:</p>
-
- <dl class="compact"><dt>The Skinner Box</dt>
- <dd>An environment in which the user is trained
- to “push the lever“, i.e. do a certain action over and
- over again in order to get a reward.</dd>
-
- <dt>Virtual food pellets</dt>
- <dd>Items that have nothing to do with the game itself, but are
- valuable to gamers because of the work required to obtain them
- (e.g., EverQuest); some people will end up collecting them for the
- sake of collecting.</dd>
-
- <dt>Random rewards</dt>
- <dd>They turn the game into the equivalent of a slot machine (e.g.,
- World of Warcraft, ZT Online).</dd>
-
- <dt>Elaborate cycles</dt>
- <dd>Gamers' behavior can be “shaped” by making cycles
- (progress from one level to the next) slower and slower, designing
- complex tasks that are difficult to get out of (e.g. World of
- Warcraft), or conversely dividing them up in small chunks to avoid
- frustration (e.g., New Super Mario Bros.Wii).</dd>
-
- <dt>Decay of game assets</dt>
- <dd>This makes it necessary for a gamer to keep playing, without
- vacations, simply to avoid losing what they have earned so far
- (e.g., Farmville, Ultima Online, Animal Crossing).</dd>
- </dl>
-
- <p>Games such as World of Warcraft, which are considered very addictive,
- use several of these techniques.</p>
-
- <p style="margin-top: 1em">“Loot boxes” are a direct
- application of the random reward mechanism, and their addictiveness
- is enhanced by seductive animation. They are <a
-
href="https://www.pcgamer.com/behind-the-addictive-psychology-and-seductive-art-of-loot-boxes/";>
- akin to gambling</a>.</p>
-
- <p style="margin-top: 1em">The developers of gratis
- mobile games apply the techniques described above to <a
- href="https://www.psychguides.com/interact/the-psychology-of-freemium/";>
- turn their products into slot machines</a>. This is clearly
- described in an infographic. The revenue generated by these games
- is directly related to the number of strongly addicted gamers
- (called “whales”) and to the amount of money they are
- willing to spend. Thus developers carefully study the behavior of
- millions of users to increase the addictiveness of their games.</p>
-
- <p><small>(Unfortunately, the last two articles use “free” to
- mean “zero price.” We recommend saying “gratis”
- instead.)</small></p>
-
- <p style="margin-top: 1em">However, the addictiveness of a game is
- only one of the determinants of addiction. Equally important are the
- psychological make-up and life circumstances of the gamer. Gaming
- addiction, like other addictions, is a form of mental escape from an
- unrewarding life. The sad truth is that, in the long run, it leads
- to an even worse life.</p>
-
- <p style="margin-top: 1em"><small><em>Note:</em>
- We are not gamers. If you think we have misunderstood
- some point, or have suggestions for making this text
- clearer or more correct, please send them to <<a
- href="mailto:address@hidden";>address@hidden</a>>.</small></p>
- </li>
-
<li id="M201908210">
<p>Microsoft recorded users of Xboxes and had <a
href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/43kv4q/microsoft-human-contractors-listened-to-xbox-owners-homes-kinect-cortana";>
@@ -410,7 +342,7 @@
<p class="unprintable">Updated:
<!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2020/02/15 17:13:53 $
+$Date: 2020/02/25 13:01:37 $
<!-- timestamp end -->
</p>
</div>
Index: proprietary-addictions.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html,v
retrieving revision 1.24
retrieving revision 1.25
diff -u -b -r1.24 -r1.25
--- proprietary-addictions.html 15 Feb 2020 17:13:53 -0000 1.24
+++ proprietary-addictions.html 25 Feb 2020 13:01:40 -0000 1.25
@@ -11,9 +11,6 @@
<title>Proprietary Addictions
- GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/proprietary/proprietary.css"
media="screen,print" />
-<style type="text/css" media="print,screen"><!--
- .blurbs span { font-weight: bold; }
---></style>
<!--#include virtual="/proprietary/po/proprietary-addictions.translist" -->
<!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
<!--#include virtual="/proprietary/proprietary-menu.html" -->
@@ -60,9 +57,9 @@
<h3 id="addictiveness">How software is made addictive</h3>
-<ul class="blurbs">
- <li id="M209900000">
- <p>Many <span>games</span> are designed to
+<h4 id="games">Games</h4>
+
+ <p id="M209900000">Many games are designed to
keep gamers compulsively playing—and renewing
their subscription. To achieve this result, developers use <a
href="http://www.cracked.com/article_18461_5-creepy-ways-video-games-are-trying-to-get-you-addicted.html";>
@@ -99,13 +96,15 @@
<p>Games such as World of Warcraft, which are considered very addictive,
use several of these techniques.</p>
- <p style="margin-top: 1em">“Loot boxes” are a direct
+ <p>There are even more elaborate ways to get users addicted to a game.
+ <ul>
+ <li>“Loot boxes” are a direct
application of the random reward mechanism, and their addictiveness
is enhanced by seductive animation. They are <a
href="https://www.pcgamer.com/behind-the-addictive-psychology-and-seductive-art-of-loot-boxes/";>
- akin to gambling</a>.</p>
+ akin to gambling</a>.</li>
- <p style="margin-top: 1em">The developers of gratis
+ <li>The developers of gratis
mobile games apply the techniques described above to <a
href="https://www.psychguides.com/interact/the-psychology-of-freemium/";>
turn their products into slot machines</a>. This is clearly
@@ -113,28 +112,29 @@
is directly related to the number of strongly addicted gamers
(called “whales”) and to the amount of money they are
willing to spend. Thus developers carefully study the behavior of
- millions of users to increase the addictiveness of their games.</p>
+ millions of users to increase the addictiveness of their games.</li>
+ </ul>
<p><small>(Unfortunately, the last two articles use “free” to
mean “zero price.” We recommend saying “gratis”
instead.)</small></p>
- <p style="margin-top: 1em">However, the addictiveness of a game is
+ <p>However, the addictiveness of a game is
only one of the determinants of addiction. Equally important are the
psychological make-up and life circumstances of the gamer. Gaming
addiction, like other addictions, is a form of mental escape from an
unrewarding life. The sad truth is that, in the long run, it leads
to an even worse life.</p>
- <p style="margin-top: 1em"><small><em>Note:</em>
+ <p><small><em>Note:</em>
We are not gamers. If you think we have misunderstood
some point, or have suggestions for making this text
clearer or more correct, please send them to <<a
href="mailto:address@hidden";>address@hidden</a>>.</small></p>
- </li>
- <li id="M201902220">
- <p><span>On-line gambling</span> services (and their nonfree
+<h4 id="gambling">Online gambling</h4>
+
+ <p id="M201902220">Online gambling services (and their nonfree
client programs) are <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/feb/22/gambling-apps-more-dangerous-than-fobts-study-finds";>
designed to be addictive</a>, much like on-line games. They achieve
@@ -149,10 +149,10 @@
<p>However, modification of the client program could cover up some
addictive behaviors without losing the user anything.</p>
- </li>
- <li id="M201803210">
- <p>Some <span>social networking</span> apps are <a
+<h4 id="social-networks">Social networks</h4>
+
+ <p id="M201803210">Some social networking apps are <a
href="https://www.jeffbullas.com/facebook-creates-addiction/";>
designed to get users addicted</a>. These try to merge into your daily
routine by exploiting social pressure and your natural desire for
@@ -202,8 +202,7 @@
<p>A good way to minimize the risk of addiction, short of avoiding
social media altogether, is to turn off notifications and leave as
little as possible of your own data on the platform.</p>
- </li>
-</ul>
+
<h3 id="proprietary-addictions">Examples of addictive software</h3>
@@ -332,7 +331,7 @@
<p class="unprintable">Updated:
<!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2020/02/15 17:13:53 $
+$Date: 2020/02/25 13:01:40 $
<!-- timestamp end -->
</p>
</div>
Index: workshop/mal.rec
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/proprietary/workshop/mal.rec,v
retrieving revision 1.190
retrieving revision 1.191
diff -u -b -r1.190 -r1.191
--- workshop/mal.rec 24 Feb 2020 16:51:46 -0000 1.190
+++ workshop/mal.rec 25 Feb 2020 13:01:41 -0000 1.191
@@ -177,67 +177,6 @@
+
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/dec/13/ring-hackers-reportedly-watching-talking-strangers-in-home-cameras";>access
+ its camera, speakers and microphones</a>.</p>
-Added: 2019-11-16
-Id: 201803210
-RT: www-discuss 2019-11-13 (Addictiveness of social media...)
-PubDate: 2017-05-30
-PubDate: 2013-07-25
-PubDate: 2018-03-21
-PubDate: 2016-05-01
-PubDate: 2018-01-01
-Target: proprietary-addictions.html addictiveness
-Keywords: facebook instagram pinterest
-Blurb: <p>Some <span>social networking</span> apps are <a
-+ href="https://www.jeffbullas.com/facebook-creates-addiction/";>
-+ designed to get users addicted</a>. These try to merge into your daily
-+ routine by exploiting social pressure and your natural desire for
-+ socialization, converting habitual gestures into thorough addiction. As
-+ already noted for games, addictiveness is essentially based on random
-+ rewards. In the present case, the rewards are messages from friends
-+ and followers, “likes,” news, interesting videos, etc. The
-+ software is designed to trigger users' desire for these rewards,
-+ and keep this desire alive as long as possible.</p>
-+
-+ <ul>
-+ <li>By default, notifications are sent every time a new item comes
-+ in, instead of, say, once a day. They are associated with sounds or
-+ vibrations which make them even more compelling. (Remember Pavlov's
-+ experiments with rats.) These triggers are often opt-out, and many
-+ users don't try to turn them off. They are most effective when the
-+ app is installed on a mobile device which is always on and never
-+ leaves the user. As a side effect, they may contribute to the <a
-+
href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/reading-between-the-headlines/201307/smartphone-addiction";>
-+ addictiveness of “smart” phones</a>.</li>
-+
-+ <li>Users are served selected material
-+ that is likely to interest them, based on <a
-+
href="https://theconversation.com/facebook-is-killing-democracy-with-its-personality-profiling-data-93611";>
-+ profiling</a>. (This paves the way to <a
-+ href="/proprietary/proprietary-manipulation.html">manipulation</a>,
-+ by the way.)</li>
-+
-+ <li>The app interface is designed to make users
-+ stay on the site as long as possible, using <a
-+
href="https://uxplanet.org/ux-infinite-scrolling-vs-pagination-1030d29376f1";>
-+ infinite scrolling</a> for example.</li>
-+
-+ <li>The company that owns the social network tries
-+ to cover users' needs as extensively as possible, by <a
-+
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mergers_and_acquisitions_by_Facebook";>
-+ acquiring other companies</a> if needed. Once users
-+ have concentrated most of their online activities and
-+ a lot of their personal data on a single platform (or
-+ a set of platforms that belong to the same group), they find it <a
-+
href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jan/01/antisocial-media-why-decided-cut-back-facebook-instagram";>
-+ almost impossible to leave</a>. And even if they wanted to, they
-+ would have a hard time digging out the relevant options, and the
-+ app would aggressively nag them to stay.</li>
-+ </ul>
-+
-+ <p>A good way to minimize the risk of addiction, short of avoiding
-+ social media altogether, is to turn off notifications and leave as
-+ little as possible of your own data on the platform.</p>
-
Added: 2019-10-31
Id: 201910131
RT: www-discuss 2019-10-31 (Safari spies on users for Tencent)
@@ -1281,85 +1220,6 @@
+ is also deceptive, as it uses confusing menus and complex stats to
+ obfuscate true monetary costs.</p>
-Added: 2019-03-07
-Id: 209900000
-RT: www-discuss 2019-11-13 (Game addictiveness, new version)
-PubDate: 2010-03-08
-PubDate: 2017-09-28
-PubDate: 2015-01-00
-Target: proprietary-addictions.html addictiveness
-Target: malware-games.html malware-games
-Keywords:
-Blurb: <p>Many <span>games</span> are designed to
-+ keep gamers compulsively playing—and renewing
-+ their subscription. To achieve this result, developers use <a
-+
href="http://www.cracked.com/article_18461_5-creepy-ways-video-games-are-trying-to-get-you-addicted.html";>
-+ techniques that derive from behavioral and brain research</a>:</p>
-+
-+ <dl class="compact"><dt>The Skinner Box</dt>
-+ <dd>An environment in which the user is trained
-+ to “push the lever“, i.e. do a certain action over and
-+ over again in order to get a reward.</dd>
-+
-+ <dt>Virtual food pellets</dt>
-+ <dd>Items that have nothing to do with the game itself, but are
-+ valuable to gamers because of the work required to obtain them
-+ (e.g., EverQuest); some people will end up collecting them for the
-+ sake of collecting.</dd>
-+
-+ <dt>Random rewards</dt>
-+ <dd>They turn the game into the equivalent of a slot machine (e.g.,
-+ World of Warcraft, ZT Online).</dd>
-+
-+ <dt>Elaborate cycles</dt>
-+ <dd>Gamers' behavior can be “shaped” by making cycles
-+ (progress from one level to the next) slower and slower, designing
-+ complex tasks that are difficult to get out of (e.g. World of
-+ Warcraft), or conversely dividing them up in small chunks to avoid
-+ frustration (e.g., New Super Mario Bros.Wii).</dd>
-+
-+ <dt>Decay of game assets</dt>
-+ <dd>This makes it necessary for a gamer to keep playing, without
-+ vacations, simply to avoid losing what they have earned so far
-+ (e.g., Farmville, Ultima Online, Animal Crossing).</dd>
-+ </dl>
-+
-+ <p>Games such as World of Warcraft, which are considered very addictive,
-+ use several of these techniques.</p>
-+
-+ <p style="margin-top: 1em">“Loot boxes” are a direct
-+ application of the random reward mechanism, and their addictiveness
-+ is enhanced by seductive animation. They are <a
-+
href="https://www.pcgamer.com/behind-the-addictive-psychology-and-seductive-art-of-loot-boxes/";>
-+ akin to gambling</a>.</p>
-+
-+ <p style="margin-top: 1em">The developers of gratis
-+ mobile games apply the techniques described above to <a
-+ href="https://www.psychguides.com/interact/the-psychology-of-freemium/";>
-+ turn their products into slot machines</a>. This is clearly
-+ described in an infographic. The revenue generated by these games
-+ is directly related to the number of strongly addicted gamers
-+ (called “whales”) and to the amount of money they are
-+ willing to spend. Thus developers carefully study the behavior of
-+ millions of users to increase the addictiveness of their games.</p>
-+
-+ <p><small>(Unfortunately, the last two articles use “free” to
-+ mean “zero price.” We recommend saying “gratis”
-+ instead.)</small></p>
-+
-+ <p style="margin-top: 1em">However, the addictiveness of a game is
-+ only one of the determinants of addiction. Equally important are the
-+ psychological make-up and life circumstances of the gamer. Gaming
-+ addiction, like other addictions, is a form of mental escape from an
-+ unrewarding life. The sad truth is that, in the long run, it leads
-+ to an even worse life.</p>
-+
-+ <p style="margin-top: 1em"><small><em>Note:</em>
-+ We are not gamers. If you think we have misunderstood
-+ some point, or have suggestions for making this text
-+ clearer or more correct, please send them to <<a
-+ href="mailto:address@hidden";>address@hidden</a>>.</small></p>
-
Added: 2019-03-04
Id: 201902270
RT: 1365737
@@ -1442,28 +1302,6 @@
+ restrictions in the use of ink cartridges that would otherwise be in
+ working order.</p>
-Added: 2019-02-23
-Id: 201902220
-RT: 1362789
-PubDate: 2019-02-22
-Target: proprietary-addictions.html addictiveness
-Keywords:
-Blurb: <p><span>On-line gambling</span> services (and their nonfree
-+ client programs) are <a
-+
href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/feb/22/gambling-apps-more-dangerous-than-fobts-study-finds";>
-+ designed to be addictive</a>, much like on-line games. They achieve
-+ this with various different malfunctionalities, often in combination.</p>
-+
-+ <p>Many of these malfunctionalities are implemented by the server and
-+ the client program together. In some cases, there is no honest way that
-+ the client program could counteract the nastiness—for instance,
-+ when the server manipulates amounts won in order to get the user
-+ addicted, the only way the client program could block that is to pretend
-+ the win did not happen. But users would not want that modification.</p>
-+
-+ <p>However, modification of the client program could cover up some
-+ addictive behaviors without losing the user anything.</p>
-
Added: 2019-02-22
Id: 201901070
RT: www-discuss 2019-02-21 ("smart" TVs that spy)
Index: workshop/targets.rec
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/proprietary/workshop/targets.rec,v
retrieving revision 1.16
retrieving revision 1.17
diff -u -b -r1.16 -r1.17
--- workshop/targets.rec 15 Feb 2020 14:25:45 -0000 1.16
+++ workshop/targets.rec 25 Feb 2020 13:01:41 -0000 1.17
@@ -28,9 +28,6 @@
Page: malware-cars.html
Targets: malware-cars
-Page: malware-games.html
-Targets: malware-games
-
Page: malware-google.html
Targets: back-doors censorship drm insecurity interference sabotage
surveillance tyrants
@@ -47,7 +44,7 @@
Targets: potential-malware
Page: proprietary-addictions.html
-Targets: addictiveness proprietary-addictions
+Targets: proprietary-addictions
Page: proprietary-back-doors.html
Targets: spy alter-data install-delete universal other