[Caesar]

@_ck_:

See https://codex.wordpress.org/Version_2.7#WordPress_Upgrader – “All file operations are performed as the user that owns the files, not as the web server’s user. All files are set to 0644 and all directories are set to 0755, and writable by only the user and readable by everyone else, including the web server.”

Regarding the phoning home “with all your install info” – according to the docs, the only info sent is your version and locale. I haven’t checked this myself.

Most WordPress users find the “automatic” upgrade very useful, and most bbPress users would too. The sooner it’s available the better, in my opinion, though I don’t know how much work is required to port it from WordPress.