[SERVER-35862] Spam on 'mongodb' Created: 28/Jun/18  Updated: 27/Oct/23  Resolved: 28/Jun/18

Status: Closed
Project: Core Server
Component/s: Admin
Affects Version/s: 4.0.0
Fix Version/s: None

Type: Bug Priority: Major - P3
Reporter: Stephen Lynx Assignee: Ramon Fernandez Marina
Resolution: Works as Designed Votes: 0
Labels: None
Remaining Estimate: Not Specified
Time Spent: Not Specified
Original Estimate: Not Specified
Environment:

CentOS 7


Participants:

 Description   

Every time I run 'mongodb' I am greeted with the following spam:


Enable MongoDB's free cloud-based monitoring service to collect and display
metrics about your deployment (disk utilization, CPU, operation statistics,
etc).

The monitoring data will be available on a MongoDB website with a unique
URL created for you. Anyone you share the URL with will also be able to
view this page. MongoDB may use this information to make product
improvements and to suggest MongoDB products and deployment options to you.

To enable free monitoring, run the following command:
db.enableFreeMonitoring()



 Comments   
Comment by Stephen Lynx [ 03/Jul/18 ]

Why is there any message at all, @matt.lord ? Why LITERALLY NO OTHER FEATURE has something equivalent to it? Why is there any need for it? Answer me that. If it's because it's opt-in, why the other features also don't get something similar? This is the question you guys have been dodging the whole time: why this feature in specific needs this kind of attention. I know why, you know why, but you won't get away with not admitting why.

Comment by Matt Lord (Inactive) [ 02/Jul/18 ]

Hi stephenlynx,

I just wanted to say thank you for using MongoDB, and thank you for the feedback! We're currently working on ways to make the [permanent] disabling of the feature and related reminder/banner as clear and easy as possible, right in the shell. 

Thank you again for the input! It's helpful and appreciated.

Best Regards,

Matt

Comment by Stephen Lynx [ 28/Jun/18 ]

I guess Ill have to hit where it hurts then.

Comment by Ramon Fernandez Marina [ 28/Jun/18 ]

stephenlynx,

apologies for the delay, we've been discussing this ticket internally. Here are the answers to your questions as well as some additional information.

pushing a proprietary service down user's throats without regards for them

As explained in the documentation I linked above, Free Monitoring is an optional service we offer in MongoDB 4.0 to all community users. It's opt-in, and it is free.

Why this feature in specific asks for spam?

Because it's opt-in.

Where is the source code of the software that receives the data?

The endpoint that processes the data is proprietary. However, the source code for the monitored data is available for the world to see in our github repository. MongoDB is open source, and users are welcome to inspect and modify the code to their own needs. If you wanted to build your own monitoring endpoint that would be fantastic.

Note also that you can build your own mongod without this feature altogether simply by compiling with the flag --enable-free-mon=off.

Last but not least, please note that the SERVER project is for reporting bugs or feature suggestions for the MongoDB server:

Regards,
Ramón.

Comment by Stephen Lynx [ 28/Jun/18 ]

You have ignored me for the whole day, can I start assuming mongodb did this out of malice and greed, pushing a proprietary service down user's throats without regards for them and spreading the word?

 

Comment by Stephen Lynx [ 28/Jun/18 ]

Nice edit, but you didn't answer most of my questions.

Why this feature in specific asks for spam?

Where is the source code of the software that receives the data?

Comment by Stephen Lynx [ 28/Jun/18 ]

And why did anyone thought this feature in particular needed an obnoxious and intrusive reminder? Why wasn't this applied  to every other new feature in the past? Why is this monitoring feature so special that spam was added to the software to promote it?

Comment by Stephen Lynx [ 28/Jun/18 ]

Why is there even a feature that acts in conjunction with a server I have absolutely no control over? Can I configure where it sends data to? Can I run said software that receives the data? Why is this spam enabled by default? Are you trying to violate people running mongo's privacy? The fact you are trying to shove a service I have no control over is outrageous.

Comment by Ramon Fernandez Marina [ 28/Jun/18 ]

stephenlynx, this reminder is part of a new feature in 4.0 that offers users free monitoring for their MongoDB instances.

This feature is disabled by default, so no data collection or transmission happens unless the user requests it. The reminder on the shell persists until the user makes a decision on whether to enable the feature or keep it disabled.

If you're not interested in this feature at all, you can disable it and make the reminder go away via the config file as described here.

Regards,
Ramón.

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