Nepomuk

[Catfish]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEPOMUK_%28framework%29

Nepomuk is a standard for handling metadata, implemented and active by default in modern KDE4 (at least in the distros I tried).
I dislike it, because it reminds me of spyware and profiling, and so I disabled it.

What is your take on this? Do you consider Nepomuk to be benign and helpful?

My own opinion is that it may become a bugging device for heavy data mining, in the near future.

[xander333]

What's the purpose of it? For what is it used?

[1yR4jE8b]

It's the equivalent of the Windows Search, Mac Spotlight, and the Zeitgeist enginein Gnome3. I don't really see how it's any worse than any other desktop search/indexing engine.

My own opinion is that it may become a bugging device for heavy data mining, in the near future.

Not likely. Open-source devs tend to abhor that kind of stuff.

[Catfish]

Not likely. Open-source devs tend to abhor that kind of stuff.

I don't know... what about the cloud fad... and every widget in KDE4 having a "Share on Network" option? I see a tendency to facilitate over-sharing.

It's the equivalent of the Windows Search, Mac Spotlight, and the Zeitgeist enginein Gnome3. I don't really see how it's any worse than any other desktop search/indexing engine.

And as for the search/indexing engines, I consider them flawed when it comes to privacy and security. I think metadata should be supported at the filesystem level and access to it restricted by the kernel (not stored away in a binary blob)... and also, that files should be indexed at the user's request, or when he edits the metadata by filling in descriptions.