[openstreetmap-website] Disable automatic gravatar opt-in, as it violates the privacy policy (#519)

[Paweł Paprota]

@woodpeck Sorry for getting so worked up, it's just that we cannot keep putting road blocks for ourselves in OSM in the name of causes that are impossible to "win" by this project.

There are much more serious privacy/security leaks happening everywhere in the world like the fact that 99% of the people probably choose "backup my phone settings with Google" when they set up their new shiny Android device and the result is that Google stores wifi credentials in such way that after you get new phone it will automatically know your wifi password (!). Not to mention all the Google Analytics and similar stuff.

I understand the privacy risk here but it needs to be put into perspective... I bet 90% of the people either don't know or don't care or just simply accept this as a price for free service. Yes, I know this is a short-sighted approach, I myself am a bit of a tinfoil-hatted Android user and people look at me funny when I say that I don't have Google Play and any Google services on my phone ("-how do you download apps then? - through the emulator") but as you say - there has to be middle ground. I think what definitely needs to be done is being more transparent (i.e. mention gravatar related privacy information during signup).

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Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub:
https://github.com/openstreetmap/openstreetmap-website/pull/519#issuecomment-27427464
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