Hi,
September was again more busy than average to respect the timeline of Project 101 (Tor VPN) and Tails releases.
Tor VPN =======
- I analyzed the usability test of Tor VPN 0.6.2 that I did in August.
https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/ux/research/-/issues/69
In short, the usability of Tor VPN 0.6.2 is decent when people don't need to use a bridge, but very bad when Tor is blocked. None of the participant managed to use a bridge on their own.
The main issues are unclear system status and confusing network model.
Quotes:
“Tor is like a bridge.“ — P5
“I'm looking for bridges that make it like if I were in Switzerland.“ — P4
“It should say: You are being blocked! With Tor you can bypass this censorship using a bridge.“ — P6
Summary of findings:
https://gitlab.torproject.org/-/project/92/uploads/1fba8220a110622d852bf4486...
List of all issues:
https://nc.torproject.net/s/fXbRYw76pTXJZym
Video clips:
https://nc.torproject.net/f/645757
- I created GitLab issues to document the most severe issues:
Improve feedback while "Connecting" https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/vpn/-/issues/181
Clarify connection status on all screens https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/vpn/-/issues/182
Allow changing exit location from Configure menu https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/vpn/-/issues/185
Improve discoverability of the list of countries https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/vpn/-/issues/186
Clarify what can be tapped in the Bridges screen https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/vpn/-/issues/187
Remove the need to press Enter when entering a bridge line https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/vpn/-/issues/188
Clarify which bridge is being used (eg. after Bridge Bot) https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/vpn/-/issues/189
Improve discoverability of the circuit view https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/vpn/-/issues/190
Allow configuring only a single bridge https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/vpn/-/issues/193
Rethink how the different relays are named https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/vpn/-/issues/194
Clarify just enough about the network model https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/vpn/-/issues/195
Don't allow changing exit location unless already connected https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/vpn/-/issues/196
Report loss of connectivity to the Tor network https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/core/onionmasq/-/issues/110
- I started brainstorming solutions to all of these issues with Duncan and the rest of the UX team.
Tails =====
I wrote some documentation to help users with recent issues:
- Shim SBAT verification error (#20471)
https://tails.net/news/version_6.7/#sbat
- Provide fsck from Welcome Screen when the file system of the Persistent Storage is corrupted (#15451)
https://gitlab.tails.boum.org/tails/tails/-/merge_requests/1586
This one was a LOT of work to figure out which data forensics path we should recommend to users and document the main ones step-by-step.
Hi,
October was an average month in terms of workload. I worked mostly on Tails to compensate for the extra time spent on Tor VPN in Q3.
Tails =====
## Documentation
We finally published with Tails 6.8 the long documentation on recovering data from the Persistent Storage when it has file system errors:
https://tails.net/doc/persistent_storage/fsck/
Kudos to Sleuth Kit's Autopsy, which provides cross-platform and relatively easy to use data forensics. It even works from Tails!
Try it next time you recover deleted files or a broken file system.
## UX Design
I did bits of UX design on 2 important use cases:
- Preventing data loss from the Persistent Storage through:
* Report earlier errors about the partition table and resizing https://gitlab.tails.boum.org/tails/tails/-/issues/20531
* Warn about the danger of unplugging the USB stick before shutdown https://gitlab.tails.boum.org/tails/tails/-/issues/20524
- Providing better pluggable transports and circumvention automation:
* Snowflake and WebTunnel https://gitlab.tails.boum.org/tails/tails/-/issues/5494
* Circumvention API https://gitlab.tails.boum.org/tails/tails/-/issues/15331
## User research
- Conducted an interview with environmental activists in France who heavily rely on Tails. I'm waiting for their review before publishing.
https://gitlab.tails.boum.org/tails/tails/-/issues/20602
- Had a call with a technologist who started introducing Tails to a collective who helps Polish women travel to Germany and get a safe abortion. I'll interview them more in depth in some months.
https://gitlab.tails.boum.org/tails/tails/-/issues/20649
## Website
I started working on reflecting the merge with Tor on the Tails website.
https://gitlab.tails.boum.org/tails/tails/-/issues/20600
Hi,
November was light due to holidays and extra hours worked previously.
Tails =====
I adapted the Tails website to reflect the new relationship with Tor, most notably on:
- https://tails.net/, footer and "Recommended by" - https://tails.net/doc/about/trust/ - https://tails.net/doc/anonymous_internet/tor/why/
I also replaced social contract and code of conduct with Tor's.
https://gitlab.tails.boum.org/tails/tails/-/issues/20600
Tor VPN =======
I discussed Duncan's usability fixes for the most important issues identified during the tests in Mexico. I've very happy with the result and how the collaboration went. It felt like great team work!
The designs are referenced in the issues linked from:
https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/ux/research/-/issues/69
Tor Browser ===========
I tried to help Felicia by putting the user's need back in the center of the discussion on the consent question before using Moat:
https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/tor-browser/-/issues/42605#no...
I started thinking about how to present Conflux in the Circuit View:
https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/tor-browser/-/issues/41716
Hi,
December was light due to holidays.
Tor VPN =======
- Wrapped the usability test of Tor VPN 0.6.2 (finally).
* Created 12 new GitLab issues for painpoints of Low and Mid impact.
* Shared a database of participants that we can reuse in the future.
* Updated the technical notes on the technical setup used to simulate censorship.
https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/ux/research/-/issues/69
- Shared with donuts a methodology that we've used at Tails to prioritize issues identified during usability tests.
https://nc.torproject.net/apps/onlyoffice/678427?filePath=%2FS101%20-%20VPN%...
Tails =====
- Participated in an Ask Me Anything session for the community of Tails users together with Isabela, Tyler, and intrigeri.
- Updated the balenaEtcher binaries we serve on our website to 1.19.25.
- Met with Rayya from Localization Lab to discuss the needs of people who face surveillance at home.
- Prepared some roadmapping ideas for 2025.
UX Team =======
- Prepared a presentation for Alicia about the history of user research at Tor and my thoughts on research priorities.
https://nc.torproject.net/f/679333.
Hi,
Tails =====
- Tails played a surprising role in busting undercover cops in Cataluña!
https://www.3cat.cat/3cat/infiltrats/video/6319194/ (30:00 to 31:25)
We discussed how we could us this information to improve Tails for the people we do care about:
* https://gitlab.tails.boum.org/tails/tails/-/issues/20749 * https://gitlab.tails.boum.org/tails/tails/-/issues/7496
I contacted the journalists behind this case to get more info.
- Presented Tails at ProtectCon, a conference about digital security for domestic violence survivors, together with Raya.
- Uploaded and improved our generic presentation slides:
https://tails.net/contribute/how/promote/slides/
- Fixed 11 small and old documentation issues.
That was about a third of all documentation issues in our backlog :)
* Have an FAQ about messaging apps (#18956) https://tails.net/support/faq/#messaging
* Document better the RSS reader of Thunderbird (#19392) https://tails.net/doc/anonymous_internet/thunderbird/#news
* Document that the chat feature of Thunderbird doesn't work (#19704) https://tails.net/doc/anonymous_internet/thunderbird/
* Document how to persist fonts (#19908) https://tails.net/doc/persistent_storage/additional_fonts/
* Document the keyboard layout on the Boot Loader Menu (#16233) https://tails.net/doc/advanced_topics/boot_options/
* Allow changing boot options permanently (#18268) https://tails.net/doc/advanced_topics/boot_options/#index3h1
* Document using Tor bridges as entry guards (#11884) https://tails.net/doc/anonymous_internet/tor/circuits/#view
* Document restarting Tor to change all circuits (#18268) https://tails.net/doc/anonymous_internet/tor/circuits/#view
* Document basic keyboard shortcuts for accessibility (#19904) https://tails.net/doc/first_steps/accessibility/#shortcuts
* Keyboard shortcuts needs documentation or implementation (#18974) https://tails.net/doc/first_steps/desktop/#shortcuts
* Add a warning about proprietary blobs in Trusting Tails (#12722) https://tails.net/doc/about/trust/
- Fixed 2 small and new documentation issues
* Outdated suggestion to run "sudo tails-debugging-info" (#20466) * Setting up a permanent hidden service (#20742) * Document collected addresses in Thunderbird (!1906)
- Designed a warning about the risks of unplugging the USB stick (#5760)
- Discussed our roadmap for 2025 with the Tails Team
Tor VPN =======
- Upgraded the Raspberry Pi that I use to simulate censorship to Debian 12 (Bookworm). All the networking changed!
https://gitlab.tails.boum.org/tails/ux/-/commit/5270e28b
tor-project@lists.torproject.org
-
sajolida