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docs: rework telemetry doc and add CLI warning #10354

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merged 1 commit into from
Oct 19, 2023
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docs: rework telemetry doc and add CLI warning #10354

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2 changes: 2 additions & 0 deletions cli/server.go
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -782,6 +782,8 @@ func (r *RootCmd) Server(newAPI func(context.Context, *coderd.Options) (*coderd.
return xerrors.Errorf("create telemetry reporter: %w", err)
}
defer options.Telemetry.Close()
} else {
logger.Warn(ctx, `telemetry disabled, unable to notify of security issues. Read more: https://coder.com/docs/v2/latest/admin/telemetry`)
}

// This prevents the pprof import from being accidentally deleted.
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54 changes: 30 additions & 24 deletions docs/admin/telemetry.md
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,38 +1,44 @@
# Telemetry

Coder collects telemetry data from all free installations. Our users have the
right to know what we collect, why we collect it, and how we use the data.
<blockquote class="info">
TL;DR: disable telemetry by setting <code>CODER_TELEMETRY=false</code>.
</blockquote>

## What we collect
Coder collects telemetry from all installations by default. We believe our users
should have the right to know what we collect, why we collect it, and how we use
the data.

First of all, we do not collect any information that could threaten the security
of your installation. For example, we do not collect parameters, environment
variables, or passwords.
## What we collect

You can find a full list of the data we collect in the source code
You can find a full list of the data we collect in our source code
[here](https://github.com/coder/coder/blob/main/coderd/telemetry/telemetry.go).
In particular, look at the struct types such as `Template` or `Workspace`.

As a rule, we **do not collect** the following types of information:

- Any data that could make your installation less secure
- Any data that could identify individual users

Telemetry can be configured with the `CODER_TELEMETRY=x` environment variable.
For example, we do not collect parameters, environment variables, or user email
addresses.

For example, telemetry can be disabled with `CODER_TELEMETRY=false`.
## Why we collect

`CODER_TELEMETRY=true` is our default level. It includes user email and IP
addresses. This information is used in aggregate to understand where our users
are and general demographic information. We may reach out to the deployment
admin, but will never use these emails for outbound marketing.
Telemetry helps us understand which features are most valuable, what use cases
to focus on, and which bugs to fix first.

`CODER_TELEMETRY=false` disables telemetry altogether.
Most cloud-based software products collect far more data than we do. They often
offer little transparency and configurability. It's hard to imagine our favorite
SaaS products existing without their creators having a detailed understanding of
user interactions. We want to wield some of that product development power to
build self-hosted, open-source software.

## How we use telemetry
## Security

We use telemetry to build product better and faster. Without telemetry, we don't
know which features are most useful, we don't know where users are dropping off
in our funnel, and we don't know if our roadmap is aligned with the demographics
that really use Coder.
In the event we discover a critical security issue with Coder, we will use
telemetry to identify affected installations and notify their administrators.

Typical SaaS companies collect far more than what we do with little transparency
and configurability. It's hard to imagine our favorite products today existing
without their backers having good intelligence.
## Toggling

We've decided the only way we can make our product open-source _and_ build at a
fast pace is by collecting usage data as well.
You can turn telemetry on or off using either the `CODER_TELEMETRY=[true|false]`
environment variable or the `--telemetry=[true|false]` command-line flag.