I know a lot of people on here recommend MixZing as a media player. I've played with it and it appears on the surface to be a great app. However, it also seems like it takes some unknown information from you and sends that information to their server. What that information is and why it's being collected the developer refuses to explain.
One feature of Mixzing is that it monitors what you are listening to and generates recommendations from your own library. It's assumed that MixZing sends information to their server in order to do this. MixZing also has the ability to download album art so it's assumed this also involves communicating with their server. However, it's been made clear by the developer that if you turn off these two features the app still sends data to the server. What this data is is not clear.
When I asked the developer what information was being sent in this situation (recommendations and album art turned off) his reply was, "We track changes to your library (songs/playlists added/deleted) so that we can keep in sync with it." Now I'm confused as to why MixZing needs to keep in sync with my library if it's not offering recommendations or album art. Why is the dev tracking what music is in my library?
I simply asked what was being tracked and why. I figured if they're tracking my library so they can generate recommendations to other people the developer would simply say so. Instead I'm told, "As I said we need to keep track of your library so that we can perform the various functions of the player. If you don't want that information being sent to our server then just uninstall the app."
I'm sorry, but that's just obfuscating and refusing to answer the question. What various functions of the player? It plays music and video. You don't need to upload data about my library and playing habits to the server for that to happen. I have no idea what data is actually being collected or why, but the developer's blatant refusal to disclose that information and telling people to go pound sand just for asking a perfectly legit question makes me think this is a shady app and I'm going to avoid it.
Yes, I know I posted a similar rant in the apps forum. If I'm out of line, mods feel free to lock/delete this post. I won't be offended. I just feel passionately about apps taking information from me and refusing to disclose what that information is or why they need it.
One feature of Mixzing is that it monitors what you are listening to and generates recommendations from your own library. It's assumed that MixZing sends information to their server in order to do this. MixZing also has the ability to download album art so it's assumed this also involves communicating with their server. However, it's been made clear by the developer that if you turn off these two features the app still sends data to the server. What this data is is not clear.
When I asked the developer what information was being sent in this situation (recommendations and album art turned off) his reply was, "We track changes to your library (songs/playlists added/deleted) so that we can keep in sync with it." Now I'm confused as to why MixZing needs to keep in sync with my library if it's not offering recommendations or album art. Why is the dev tracking what music is in my library?
I simply asked what was being tracked and why. I figured if they're tracking my library so they can generate recommendations to other people the developer would simply say so. Instead I'm told, "As I said we need to keep track of your library so that we can perform the various functions of the player. If you don't want that information being sent to our server then just uninstall the app."
I'm sorry, but that's just obfuscating and refusing to answer the question. What various functions of the player? It plays music and video. You don't need to upload data about my library and playing habits to the server for that to happen. I have no idea what data is actually being collected or why, but the developer's blatant refusal to disclose that information and telling people to go pound sand just for asking a perfectly legit question makes me think this is a shady app and I'm going to avoid it.
Yes, I know I posted a similar rant in the apps forum. If I'm out of line, mods feel free to lock/delete this post. I won't be offended. I just feel passionately about apps taking information from me and refusing to disclose what that information is or why they need it.
