On Thu, Feb 28, 2013 at 09:34:11PM +0100, oliver wrote: > On Thu, Feb 28, 2013 at 03:19:09PM -0500, Dave Reisner wrote: > > On Thu, Feb 28, 2013 at 09:09:30PM +0100, oliver wrote: > > > Hello, > > > > > > > > > is it possible to see the number of downloads of packages from AUR, > > > so that it can be detected, how much interest in a package exists? > > > > > > Say, there are some users who do not have a AUR-login, > > > and just would install the packages that are there... which are possibly > > > outdated, but would nevertheless be interested in installing > > > newer package, if possible. > > > > > > If the download number is high enough, even if there > > > are not much votes (because some people may only > > > install stuff but are not interested in package maintaining and so on), > > > then at least interest of a package might be detected this way. > > > > This is an extremely flawed premise. > > > > > I'm asking, because I think I can adopt some more packages, > > > but would of course only pick those that I find interesting. > > > > > > They might be interesting (topic), even if I wil not use > > > them by myself. > > > So, from that standpoint, I would then select by my own > > > interest and that of other people. > > > For packages that I use by myself, of course my interest is clear, > > > and I would pick such packages. > > > > This is really strange (non-)logic. The best maintainer for a package is > > one who is actively interested in the package itself and uses it. How > > else could you possibly support it? > > Of course, as I said, I would NOT adopt packages that are > completely uninteresting for me. > Nevertheless, if I think a topic is interesting, and is somehow related > to something I would like to see spreaded, adopting it can make sense. > > For example, if I want to push the usage of R, and there are GUIs for > R, that many people would like to use, supporting a GUI for R can mek sense, > even I prefer the shell without GUI for myself. > But if it contributes to spreading R - which I think is a wonderful program - > it would make sense. E.g. I could show the GUI to some friends, who are > GUI-addicted, > and in this way introduce them to R. > > So I would not use it, but would like to provide it. > But it makes no sense, if nobody asks for it. > > Do you see what I have in mind?
No. I don't. > Do you nevertheless think, this is weak motivation? Yes, I do. Adopt things because you're interested in them, not because they're (potentially?) popular. > About the metrics: download numbers are not perfect, but better than > nothing? What you propose is surfacing raw *data*. I made a counter proposal of adding potential heuristics so that useful *information* could be displayed. I do not believe there is any value in showing the raw data, and, if anything, I believe it would only be misleading. d
