There have been reports that the "telemetry" is sent after a user takes the actions to disable it.
That means that a user has information about them reported in a way that is:
1. against their will
2. without their knowledge
That is spying. The software that does it is spyware.
Whether or not they intend to use it for anything other than improving the software - if they secretly take data from me without my consent, it's spying.
Whether or not you think it's OK for them to take data, if they do so without my consent, it's spying.
Whether or not you really like VSCode, if they secretly take data without my consent it's spying.
Software that spies is spyware. It's that simple.
Trying to haggle in the margins of one definition of a vague term is not a very strong argument to convince me otherwise.
Also: about the first part of your comment - I stop me from using VSCodium. I'm not interested.
That means that a user has information about them reported in a way that is:
1. against their will
2. without their knowledge
That is spying. The software that does it is spyware.
Whether or not they intend to use it for anything other than improving the software - if they secretly take data from me without my consent, it's spying.
Whether or not you think it's OK for them to take data, if they do so without my consent, it's spying.
Whether or not you really like VSCode, if they secretly take data without my consent it's spying.
Software that spies is spyware. It's that simple.
Trying to haggle in the margins of one definition of a vague term is not a very strong argument to convince me otherwise.
Also: about the first part of your comment - I stop me from using VSCodium. I'm not interested.