Configuration to disable automatic library window and history

[garretwilson]

I was excited to find Thorium!

Overall it looks positive, but there are two big usability issues. Maybe I'm just not finding the right configuration?

(These are related so I'm including them in the same ticket.)

Prevent library window from always appearing.

I want to use Thorium as a lightweight EPUB reader. But every time I open an EPUB file directly, it also opens up the library file in the background. If I want to quickly glance through several books, this really gets in the way of usability—now I have two windows to close.

Imagine if VLC Media Player automatically brought up some "music library" every time you wanted to quickly play an audio file, and then left the music library window open.

Or imagine if IrfanView brought up an image library every time you wanted to look at one of the photos you took last week, and then left the image library window open.

A library feature is great! But it's a different use case than a lightweight EPUB viewer. Thorium should support both use cases, simply with a configuration setting that says "don't bring up the library each time I read a book".

Prevent accumulation of reading history.

In a similar vein, many people will want to see which books they recently read. But it shouldn't be forced upon this. I don't want Thorium to slowly accumulate a history of every book I've read. Furthermore there seems to be no way to clear the reading history!

This is a privacy issue. A browser provides an example: I can delete the browser history of any site. Similarly I can browser in private mode, and no history will be accumulated. The same with editors: most editors allows history to be turned off, so that there won't be a residual list of every file you've ever edited. Even Microsoft Notepad on Windows 11 allows a setting to turn off "Recent Files"!

To emphasize, a library with history is a very useful feature for those who want it! But there are two separate use cases, and for those wanting a quick, lightweight EPUB reader, bringing up a library with no option to prevent it; and accumulating history with no option to prevent it; both gets in the way of usability and goes against modern privacy expectations.

I write so much because Thorium looks great, and I sincerely hope that you can address these usability and privacy gaps so the app can be as great as its potential seems to be!

[garretwilson]

Looking through the issues, I see #3429 which seems to imply there are some logs somewhere that keep accumulating.

Even worse, on Windows there seems to be a folder named %AppData%\EDRLab.ThoriumReader\telemetry!

There is telemetry in this app? Is there a way to turn it off? Even Microsoft's VS Code allows telemetry to be turned off.

I was excited to install the app, as the documentation makes a point about "no private data leaks". But accumulated history, accumulated logs, and something about "telemetry" — none of it with any configuration settings — are starting to set off alarm bells. Please explain! Thanks.

[danielweck]

Even worse, on Windows there seems to be a folder named %AppData%\EDRLab.ThoriumReader\telemetry! There is telemetry in this app?

Hello, when the Thorium Desktop reader application starts, it collects basic installation statistics which complement the download figures from GitHub and the Windows Store:

1. Operating system name and version
2. Application locale (language)
3. Date / time
4. Application version

thorium-reader/src/main/redux/sagas/telemetry.ts

Lines 90 to 98 in b1e3218

	const info = {
	os_version: osVersion(),
	locale,
	timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
	fresh,
	type: "poll", // 'poll' or 'error' enumeration values
	current_version: _APP_VERSION,
	prev_version: `${versionFromGlobalState}`,
	};

Is there a way to turn it off? Even Microsoft's VS Code allows telemetry to be turned off.

Not in the current implementation. Would you mind filing a standalone issue (i.e. feature request) so we can track this more specifically? Thank you very much :)

[danielweck]

I don't want Thorium to slowly accumulate a history of every book I've read. Furthermore there seems to be no way to clear the reading history! This is a privacy issue. A browser provides an example: I can delete the browser history of any site. Similarly I can browser in private mode, and no history will be accumulated.

That's an interesting feature request! :)
Once again could you please file a standalone issue, this will really help us triage and prioritise action items (we are a tiny development team)

[danielweck]

A library feature is great! But it's a different use case than a lightweight EPUB viewer. Thorium should support both use cases, simply with a configuration setting that says "don't bring up the library each time I read a book".

This has been a feature request from other users, but at this point in time Thorium Desktop reader is not architectured to function as a simple library-less reader:

#1757

[danielweck]

Looking through the issues, I see #3429 which seems to imply there are some logs somewhere that keep accumulating.

The logs are essential to help troubleshoot issues "remotely" (users send us the logs so we can diagnose problems)
In fact, the upcoming version 3.4.0 will improve logging and introduce additional verbosity for critical code paths like filesystem storage / database (for the publications themselves as well as annotations, user preferences, etc.)
The issue you linked to is indeed a "real bug" in my view, as there is currently no log rotation policy to discard / archive ancient debugging output. CC @panaC

[panaC]

Fixed with e0f3f1e

[danielweck]

I am converting this issue to a "discussion", not to signal the rejection of its contents but to ensure that individual issues / feature requests will be tracked more atomically. Thank you 👍

[garretwilson]

Would you mind filing a standalone issue (i.e. feature request) so we can track this more specifically?

No, I've already put in a lot of work providing feedback, only to have the issue closed. I'm extremely busy; I've provided you with sufficient information.

Suffice it to say that it doesn't bode well when Microsoft products provide more user control for privacy (e.g. the ability to turn off history; the ability to delete history; the ability to turn off telemetry) than Thorium.

I will be uninstalling Thorium. Kindly confirm that uninstallation will remove all Thorium application data and usage history from my machine, or if it hides something in some corner, so that I can go delete it manually. Thank you.

Good luck with development of your product. Feel free to let know when you've covered these gaps.

[KindMasochist]

Would you mind filing a standalone issue (i.e. feature request) so we can track this more specifically?

No, I've already put in a lot of work providing feedback, only to have the issue closed. I'm extremely busy; I've provided you with sufficient information.

Suffice it to say that it doesn't bode well when Microsoft products provide more user control for privacy (e.g. the ability to turn off history; the ability to delete history; the ability to turn off telemetry) than Thorium.

I will be uninstalling Thorium. Kindly confirm that uninstallation will remove all Thorium application data and usage history from my machine, or if it hides something in some corner, so that I can go delete it manually. Thank you.

Good luck with development of your product. Feel free to let know when you've covered these gaps.

You might not realize this but you come off as entitled especially when this is a free product. And since Daniel spent time trying to help you, the least you could do is provide some additional feedback, no?

[garretwilson]

You might not realize this but you come off as entitled especially when this is a free product.

@KindMasochist however you decide to infer my comments is up to you, I have decided not to use the free product because it is inadequate in the area of privacy. What is the problem with that? I can stop use of the product if I want to. Everyone is so thin-skinned nowadays. I did not personally attack anyone.

In fact I surfaced security concerns about the application, using my time which I usually charge for. I could have just abandoned the product without saying anything. Instead I provided feedback based upon my expertise in the area of EPUB and in the area of security. For free.

And since Daniel spent time trying to help you, the least you could do is provide some additional feedback, no?

"Additional feedback" was not what was requested. The request was for me to duplicate my work and waste more of my time creating a ticket, when the team has sufficient information to create the ticket themselves. Why, after I have provided my time and expertise, should this project ask me to devote more of my time to do something they could do?

If any of the team has questions about what the security issues are, I will gladly explain this further! But no one asked me for clarification (and in fact the issues are obvious; I have already described them). Instead, I was asked to do grunt work.

In short, @KindMasochist , I find your comment puzzling and counterintuitive, and not in accordance with the facts.

I've put in my time in the area of EPUB. I've done more than my share of software development on EPUB readers. If the team doesn't want to accept my expert input, offered for free, that is their choice. I have already abandoned use of the product.

I do note that I asked for a security clarification:

Kindly confirm that uninstallation will remove all Thorium application data and usage history from my machine, or if it hides something in some corner, so that I can go delete it manually.

No one bothered to respond to my security clarification question.

[panaC]

No one bothered to respond to my security clarification question.

You already answered this in your first comment: the data is located in %AppData%\EDRLab.ThoriumReader.
Since this is an Electron application, all application data is stored in the AppData directory on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

[garretwilson]

You already answered this in your first comment: the data is located in %AppData%\EDRLab.ThoriumReader.
Since this is an Electron application, all application data is stored in the AppData directory on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

My question was to confirm whether that is all the data the application is storing, or if it is hiding something else somewhere. Thank you for the confirmation, @panaC . Much appreciated.

If you need any clarifications about the security issues, just ask and I'll be happy to respond. Good luck with everything.

[panaC]

Many thanks. It’s unfortunate that you took it that way, because I really appreciated your initial input. Have a nice journey, and good luck to you too.

[KindMasochist]

What is the problem with that? I can stop use of the product if I want to.

Are you serious? You completely missed my point. You can do whatever you want. My point is you reak of entitlement:

"I've already put in a lot of work"
"I'm extremely busy"
"I've provided you with sufficient information."
"Kindly confirm that uninstallation will remove all Thorium application data and usage history from my machine"

This is not how normal people talk and think. That fact you are oblivious to such conspicous clues suggests that either you are a complete narcissist or you have a learning disability. If it's the latter, I apologize.