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Forums > Home› Star Trek Online General Discussion

What's the purpose of the Arc Service component?

therealfluffytherealfluffy Member Posts: 0 Arc User
edited February 2014 in Star Trek Online General Discussion
I noticed there's an Arc Service installed alongside the Arc Launcher. What does this software component do that the launcher can't do?
Post edited by therealfluffy on

Comments

  • starswordcstarswordc Member Posts: 10,963 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    Besides waste computer resources to spy on you? Nothing.
    "Great War! / And I cannot take more! / Great tour! / I keep on marching on / I play the great score / There will be no encore / Great War! / The War to End All Wars"
    — Sabaton, "Great War"
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  • starkaosstarkaos Member Posts: 11,556 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    It is the Perfect World equivalent to Steam. It even has something similar to the Steam Overlay that can be accessed while ingame.
  • dragonsbrethrendragonsbrethren Member Posts: 1,854 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    It's probably the same thing as the Steam client service, which allows Steam to run with elevated permissions in versions of Windows from Vista on. It stops you from getting a pop up any time you try to install a game to Program Files through the launcher, and on Steam (I doubt this is an issue with Arc), also ensures those games that predate Vista's security model can save files to their own folder.

    Given how much of a Steam clone Arc seems to be, they likely opted to handle permissions in the same way.
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  • kermanikermani Member Posts: 77 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    They gather data on you and sell it. Pretty simple really
  • thecosmic1thecosmic1 Member Posts: 9,365 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    kermani wrote: »
    They gather data on you and sell it. Pretty simple really
    Which is what Yahoo, Bing, and Google also do. :)
    STO is about my Liberated Borg Federation Captain with his Breen 1st Officer, Jem'Hadar Tactical Officer, Liberated Borg Engineering Officer, Android Ops Officer, Photonic Science Officer, Gorn Science Officer, and Reman Medical Officer jumping into their Jem'Hadar Carrier and flying off to do missions for the new Romulan Empire. But for some players allowing a T5 Connie to be used breaks the canon in the game.
  • starkaosstarkaos Member Posts: 11,556 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    The devs have mentioned that you can opt out of Arc's data collection process through one of the options, but whether it actually does or not is unknown since it wouldn't be the first time that a business lied to their customers and it certainly won't be the last.
  • knuhteb5knuhteb5 Member Posts: 1,831 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    thecosmic1 wrote: »
    Which is what Yahoo, Bing, and Google also do. :)

    So simply because others do it, it is justifiable for PWE to do it as well? You're going to have to come up with a stronger defense than that for this program's more undesirable elements.
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  • bradchristopher1bradchristopher1 Member Posts: 307
    edited February 2014
    starkaos wrote: »
    The devs have mentioned that you can opt out of Arc's data collection process through one of the options, but whether it actually does or not is unknown since it wouldn't be the first time that a business lied to their customers and it certainly won't be the last.

    Legally, shouldn't that be an "Opt-In" option instead, as by default they may not be allowed to collect data on you, unless you grant permission.
  • starkaosstarkaos Member Posts: 11,556 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    bradchristopher1 wrote: »
    Legally, shouldn't that be an "Opt-In" option instead, as by default they may not be allowed to collect data on you, unless you grant permission.

    Apparently it is.

    "Optionally, you can opt-in to provide anonymous performance and hardware statistics (which helps us make sure Arc performs well on a diverse spectrum of hardware), though it does not gather or send any data without your consent."

    Of course, depending on your settings it could collect data depending on your other settings like Profile Sharing, Friends List, Online Status, and Receive Messages so Everyone can see this data or send messages to you, only your friends can see this data, or only you can see this data. The default is the Friends setting.
  • deathsremnantdeathsremnant Member Posts: 265
    edited February 2014
    It only gathers data on you if you opt in, theres a option when you first install

    It's main purpose is advertisement, it shoves events,specials, sales from all of PWs games in your face per launch

    Some developers believe systems like this are needed, where you can access all of your games from 1 source (Because clicking those shortcut keys on the desk top is soooo hard...) And Just about every publisher is using these silly programs nowadays.

    At least Arc is giving out free stuff for just trying it.
  • ruminate00ruminate00 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    DON'T PANIC!
    ....your ISP sells information on you, too. :)
  • starswordcstarswordc Member Posts: 10,963 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    starkaos wrote: »
    The devs have mentioned that you can opt out of Arc's data collection process through one of the options, but whether it actually does or not is unknown since it wouldn't be the first time that a business lied to their customers and it certainly won't be the last.
    deathsremnant wrote: »
    It only gathers data on you if you opt in, theres a option when you first install

    And sunfrancks caught it trying to access data outside the virtual machine he trapped it in after opting out. The opt-out does not work, which makes Arc a matter for the Better Business Bureau at the very least.
    ruminate00 wrote: »
    DON'T PANIC!
    ....your ISP sells information on you, too. :)
    OH! So if ISPs do it then it must be fine! /sarcasm

    I really don't get the double standard some people seem to apply. If it's not okay for private citizens to spy on you and it's not okay for the government to spy on you, what the **** makes it okay for big corporations to spy on you?
    "Great War! / And I cannot take more! / Great tour! / I keep on marching on / I play the great score / There will be no encore / Great War! / The War to End All Wars"
    — Sabaton, "Great War"
    VZ9ASdg.png

    Check out https://unitedfederationofpla.net/s/
  • ruminate00ruminate00 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    starswordc wrote: »
    And sunfrancks caught it trying to access data outside the virtual machine he trapped it in after opting out. The opt-out does not work, which makes Arc a matter for the Better Business Bureau at the very least.


    OH! So if ISPs do it then it must be fine! /sarcasm

    I really don't get the double standard some people seem to apply. If it's not okay for private citizens to spy on you and it's not okay for the government to spy on you, what the **** makes it okay for big corporations to spy on you?

    What makes you think I care whether or not someone knows that I visit these forums?
    Context. Learn it. Understand it. Now apply it. Theres a pretty big difference between someone spying on me while im in the bathroom vs. someone spying on what forums I frequent or what hardware my computer is made out of.
  • shakesfistatskyshakesfistatsky Member Posts: 77 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    No there isn't. No one has the right to spy on you...regardless of context. The lackadaisical attitude towards our own privacy is going to lead down a very dangerous road.
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  • ijimithyijimithy Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    Privacy is a tricky and complicated matter, technically all companies collect data on you, which is why when you go to amazon and look for that book and then you jump on gmail you get ad's for that book lol. No Company should be able to sell any kinda of information about you personally OR your habits for what you do online it is the digital equivalent of them spying on you when your in the bathroom like Shakesfistatsky said.

    However being realistic here companies like google, facebook etc etc offer you a service for "Free" while in reality all the things you do are being sold off to advertisers who really pay for those services. That or the governments are funding such things to get leverage into those services. Nothing is free in this world not even the air.

    Privacy should exist but it doesn't, right now my ISP knows i'm on this forum, so by extension so do the advertisers who will likely try and ply me with Zen promos or something figuring i'm a fan of STO lol well they would if i allowed advertisements on my browser. You just need to protect yourself use an adblocker, and block cookies that aren't necessary sure it might be inconvenient having to login all the time and not having preferences but it works.
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  • greyhame3greyhame3 Member Posts: 914 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    Technically, being an MMO, they have information to sell on you without needing another piece of software. As pointed out, the same is true for pretty much any other free service.
  • talonxvtalonxv Member Posts: 4,257 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    starswordc wrote: »
    And sunfrancks caught it trying to access data outside the virtual machine he trapped it in after opting out. The opt-out does not work, which makes Arc a matter for the Better Business Bureau at the very least.


    OH! So if ISPs do it then it must be fine! /sarcasm

    I really don't get the double standard some people seem to apply. If it's not okay for private citizens to spy on you and it's not okay for the government to spy on you, what the **** makes it okay for big corporations to spy on you?

    Guess what, you can opt out. I did, no issues.
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  • thecosmic1thecosmic1 Member Posts: 9,365 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    knuhteb5 wrote: »
    So simply because others do it, it is justifiable for PWE to do it as well?
    Simply put, yes. As it is not illegal to do there is nothing wrong with doing it. It is no more immoral for PWE to capitalize on data mining then any other service you use on the internet. Virtually every service you use on your computer and smartphone is data mining all day, every day. If you honestly believe that a multitude of companies are not making money off of you every day then you are only fooling yourself.
    STO is about my Liberated Borg Federation Captain with his Breen 1st Officer, Jem'Hadar Tactical Officer, Liberated Borg Engineering Officer, Android Ops Officer, Photonic Science Officer, Gorn Science Officer, and Reman Medical Officer jumping into their Jem'Hadar Carrier and flying off to do missions for the new Romulan Empire. But for some players allowing a T5 Connie to be used breaks the canon in the game.
  • thecosmic1thecosmic1 Member Posts: 9,365 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    shakesfistatsky wrote: »
    No there isn't. No one has the right to spy on you...regardless of context. The lackadaisical attitude towards our own privacy is going to lead down a very dangerous road.
    If you have issues with data mining take it to your US Congressman, not a gaming forum.

    The only way it will stop is if Congress passes a law making it illegal. And we all know that is not going to happen. Corporations make millions per year selling their mined data to other Corporations; and Congress does not like to interfere with the profits of corporations - there is too much lobbying money, too much Super Pac money, and too much campaign donation money from corporations for that to ever change. :)
    STO is about my Liberated Borg Federation Captain with his Breen 1st Officer, Jem'Hadar Tactical Officer, Liberated Borg Engineering Officer, Android Ops Officer, Photonic Science Officer, Gorn Science Officer, and Reman Medical Officer jumping into their Jem'Hadar Carrier and flying off to do missions for the new Romulan Empire. But for some players allowing a T5 Connie to be used breaks the canon in the game.
  • vedauwoovedauwoo Member Posts: 215 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    thecosmic1 wrote: »
    Which is what Yahoo, Bing, and Google also do. :)

    Not to mention Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Etc. and everything else.....
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