It Depends
I ran into this Mast? from sidebar.io and it struck a chord. I think much differently than this and I think the purpose of the original share is to get websites to stop offering these things. While I agree that the way they are done are often overkill, I do want many of these things. But, it depends.
The main reason I think targeting it all is that it’s a selfish take. It reads to me like “I want something from you, but I want to give you nothing back in return”. That feels like the opposite spirit of the web and the web community that I love.
Here’s my version:
Sometimes, I do want to install your app.
Sometimes, I do want that app to run on startup.
No, I do not want that app shortcut on my desktop, but on windows sometimes I drag it to the hot bar.
Often, I do want to subscribe to your newsletter.
No, I do not want your site to send me notifications. I haven’t had this need yet, but I imagine some people do.
Sometimes, I do want to tell you about my recent experience.
Sometimes, I do want to sign up for an account.
Often, I do want to sign up using a different service and let the two of you know about each other.
Often, I do want to sign in for a more personalized experience.
No, I do not want to allow you to read my contacts. This is out of respect for my contacts who lean more towards the original poster than I do.
Yes, I do want you to scan my content. I want you to be able to learn from what I do with your tool.
Yes, I do want you to track me. I want you to be able to learn from your users.
No, I do not want to click “Later” or “Not now” when what I mean is NO. This is the area where I agree. Offer it and accept the response. Rather than later or not now, just give a reminder that this response can be changed in settings if you create an account.