Data Collection Issues [Resolved]

[Jimmy]

Hey folks,

 

It’s recently been brought to our attention that the server code we are running still has the same data collection enabled that the live (i24) build had. This includes:

• Messages sent over all chat channels
  
• Connection IP addresses
  
• Hardware specifications (including CPU, RAM, Graphics card and drivers)

This is the exact same data that was being collected when you played on the live version of the game, and the same data that’s collected by almost any online game you play. Regardless, we do not need or want this data.

 

We only discovered this was happening about 30 minutes ago, and we are now immediately taking steps to remedy it.

 

Our goal is to have a small patch deployed within the next 24 hours which should disable all logging, and at that point we will flush any data that has already been collected.

 

If you aren’t comfortable with the above, please do not play the game until we have deployed the patch. We will be making an announcement when that has happened.

 

Thank you for your understanding.

 

===== UPDATE =====

We have now resolved this problem. Logging has been disabled, the chatserver has had it's logging functionality removed via binary patching, and all of our logs have been destroyed.

 

If you have an I25 server then get in touch with us and we will help you ensure that all logging is disabled in your server as well.

We respect the privacy of everyone in this community.

 

Here are our loglevels, note that the -2 means that it is disabled:

 

Here is our Chat server log directory (1 message is added to the file when the server boots up):

 

Here is our DB server log directory (note that deletion log just stores a backup of a deleted character for possible restoration and does not contain PII):

 

Here is our Map server log directory (same for all map servers):

 

- The Homecoming Team

[BroFoSho]

Cool thanks for the head's up guys

[_NOPE_]

Full transparency, I LOVE it.

[Snowdaze]

Lol at least it will give a little mor processing power to the players and less storage medium needed! Cheers and well met!

[lobster]

Excellent job on the transparency guys, I continue to be impressed.  Thank you!

[jfhennedy]

Lol at least it will give a little mor processing power to the players and less storage medium needed! Cheers and well met!

 

Is this true? So basically getting rid of all this data and ceasing to collect any more of it will improve stability/performance? Just curious.

[Summerspark]

lmao can't imagine how much creepy ERP stuff you guys have already. Thanks for letting us know!

[_NOPE_]

Lol at least it will give a little mor processing power to the players and less storage medium needed! Cheers and well met!

 

Is this true? So basically getting rid of all this data and ceasing to collect any more of it will improve stability/performance? Just curious.

My guess is that it would be a marginal performance benefit, if anything. Logging is usually fairly low level stuff and doesn't take NEARLY as much resources as actual server usage. That is, unless they're storing CLOBs or something, which I think would be kind of ridiculous.

[Amber]

By law they've got to record chat channels, patriot act stuff.

[_NOPE_]

By law they've got to record chat channels, patriot act stuff.

 

OH, I'm sure they're worried about following the Patriot Act on their illegal server. ;)

[Jimmy]

By law they've got to record chat channels, patriot act stuff.

 

[The Fifth Horseman]

Logging chat is pretty standard, if your GMs run into someone misusing the chat in some way (eg: trying to solicit donations or posing as a GM) those logs could prove whether this was a one-time thing or a long-term pattern of behavior.

As for IPs... let's not mince words, sometimes an IP ban is the only way to get rid of certain problem users - at least for a while.

[Burnt Toast]

Sure... if the servers were in the United States....

But seeing as they are not....

Your statement is false.

 

 

By law they've got to record chat channels, patriot act stuff.

[lastword]

Good Job

[Amber]

I was referring to NCsoft and why they'd have chat logging and data collection buried in the code.

[Water]

By law they've got to record chat channels, patriot act stuff.

 

 

Yep - 20,000,000 reasons not to collect data.

[pooper]

I knew you guys were reading my sexy RP private messages.

[shwabbaman]

Okay, it was very cool that you guys came out and said this and your non-big brother stance on it, but don't you think you might want to keep some of that? I mean, you guys were asking for player rig stats to help with your troubleshooting, and, well, now you've got them. As for chat logs, if you don't collect that info, how do you plan on effectively arbiting player disputes? Without those logs, it could prove fairly impossible to tell if Johnny Applebottom really did or did not call Suzy Sassafrass a rather offensive and racially charged slur. I understand wanting to respect people's privacy, but there is no reasonable expectation of privacy on someone else's system.

 

Or maybe I misunderstood what you meant, in which case ignore all this blathering blatherskite ;)

 

 

Blatheringly Yours,

Your Friendly Neighborhood Shwabbaman

[toffty]

I was referring to NCsoft and why they'd have chat logging and data collection buried in the code.

 

It was common practice for all MMOs to collect all chat data even prior to 2001.

[EmperorSteele]

...Is it just me or have the servers been running flawlessly since this change?

 

I mean, it's probably the 1,500 player cap, but still.

[Almafeta]

Oh geeze.  That'll be horrid for moderation.

[Valverde]

Thanks for the transparency guys! You really are the best!

[Supranova]

Hi! So now that all logging has been disabled... If someone reports an error or cheating or exploiting how are the devs supposed to find it in the logs? Shouldn't for example error logging be kept? Or cmds logging? Also if someone is verbally abused or harassed and they were so upset they forgot to take a screenshot... How are GMs supposed to handle it without chat logs? - I'm not criticizing, I'm honestly curious and worried about how such issues will be handled.

 

[silversanguis]

 

Logs

 

 

While logging chat, IP's and system specs is not needed (for the most part) i'd urge you to reconsider logging other data.

 

Depending on whether or not you will be offering any kind of support in the future, logging serverwide public channels (such as broadcast and help for example) as well as system logs (system, quests, etc) would be incredibly helpful to have on hand. All of these can help fix possible issues for players, and they will also help you combat abuse, cheating and - if the server becomes popular enough - gold farm/selling activities. None of these logs would form an issue GDPR wise as they can be considered necessary to make sure the servers can run correctly, if that's what you're worried about.

[CodeJunkie]

On 4/30/2019 at 2:21 AM, Supranova said:

Hi! So now that all logging has been disabled... If someone reports an error or cheating or exploiting how are the devs supposed to find it in the logs? Shouldn't for example error logging be kept? Or cmds logging? Also if someone is verbally abused or harassed and they were so upset they forgot to take a screenshot... How are GMs supposed to handle it without chat logs? - I'm not criticizing, I'm honestly curious and worried about how such issues will be handled.

 

I'm curious about this too.  This data is necessary for running an efficient service.  If players are trying to hack the game you have to know what IP they are coming from...kind of the reason that type of data is tracked to begin with.