Giveaway of the Day Forums

1. 

   gm
   Member

   Hi,

   First, thanks for the wonderful site.

   I Have a suggestion: can you add a counter that will continually and in real-time manner will tell how many of the GAOTD program was downloaded. In many times, there are many posts from people telling their impression and other (some time non-relevant) thoughts and recommendations. While these sometime helps to make up your mind regarding the give away software, they also might distract you and make you decide not to download and test some good programs. Seeing how many people already downloaded the today software can make you decide if the post people leave really demonstrates the true overall impression or it only demonstrate some "smart" and "loud" opinions from people who think they know much while in fact are to say the least not that that expert.

   Thanks,

   Gid

   Posted 16 years ago #
2. 

   Archangel
   Member

   Hello Gid. A counter wouldn't help to establish whether they installed it or not. If you read through the forum you'll find that a lot of people download the files and then install them later (many complain that it wouldn't register but that was because it has to be installed within the same time frame).

   A counter would tell the developers if there was interest in the software though.

   Posted 16 years ago #
3. 

   goodgotd
   Member

   I admit I've always wondered about a counter visible for activations, to see how many have really tried to install the gaotd, but never asked as it's only a matter of curiousity for me. I assume the # of activations determine the remittance to developers, though, not downloads.

   Posted 16 years ago #
4. 

   gm
   Member

   OK, perhaps a counter of activation number and not downloaded number is better. In any case, such counter can tell how popular a GAOTD software is. Showing such real time counter can help making your mind about the software in a better way then just read the "loud" posts "experts" leave. Not that such opinions are not important but I think that a counter can show better the "real picture" of a software popularity.

   Posted 16 years ago #
5. 

   BuBBy
   Teh adnim

   Quantity of Activations often has no correlation to quality. Some programs for testing purposes - or to check if the servers are up - I may activate up to 10 times over the course of a giveaway.

   Some users who just cannot get a program to run - might setup and activate several times only to give up in frustration.

   Some giveaway developers might want figures showing the interest level in their programs to remain private for commercial reasons - or some who have a commercial interest in trying to make a program appear more popular could just run a bot to repeatedly activate the software to boost the counter.

   At the end of the day, the displayed counter wouldn't really mean anything (especially if it was made public and subject to manipulation).

   I have my own doubts about the thumbs up/thumbs down vote - as at times (sometimes early during a giveaway) the displayed tally is IMO nothing short of comical, and voting is optional - so you cannot place make any "overall" interpretation of the results, only on the opinions of the people who decided to vote. Finally looking at the vote totals - it is clear that only a very small minority actually click on a voting thumb.

   Posted 16 years ago #
6. 

   gm
   Member

   Bubby thanks - I get your point.
   However, you also admit that the votes does not truly demonstrate anything. Thus, perhaps you can think of some other way for enabling a better impression of the softwares you offer rather then rely on the posts ungrateful "experts" leave.

   Posted 16 years ago #
7. 

   headman
   Member

   Even if the site was set up so that a window popped up with an option to comment AFTER the program was downloaded, it would be misleading, even though it may cut down on some silly comments. It still wouldn't show how many people uninstalled the software after downloading and trying it out because they found fault with it or just decided that it wasn't for them. The developers may find that information useful, as well.
   I learned long ago not to rely on the comments section or the incredibly lame thumbs up/down system. Your best bet, IMO, is to activate and install so you can check it out for yourself at your leisure. Then decide for yourself if you want to keep it.
   As far as idiotic comments are concerned, it's my theory that the people posting them make up a huge portion of the ad-clicking public, and as such are a great source of revenue for this site. A lot of them have honed their craft to the point where their comment may appear useful or experience-based at first glance, but it's still just another opportunity to see their foolishness in print. If they can't come here to show their wit and technical know-how they'll go someplace else and take their clicking fingers with them. They're probably looked at as a necessary evil.

   Posted 16 years ago #
8. 

   goodgotd
   Member

   thanks again, BuBBy, I always wondered how those votes were entered. never occurred to me to just click on one. D'oh!

   they ought to be persistent for a while so experience with the program can translate to more accurate approval ratings. some programs grow on me after some use (frigate) while others wait to show warts. votes during the giveaway are either 'oooh- sparkly' votes with no testing or turing-test results for total-ease-of-install.

   Posted 16 years ago #
9. 

   BuBBy
   Teh adnim

   My money is on most votes being the 'oooh-sparkly' category.

   Posted 16 years ago #
10. 

    goodgotd
    Member

    me too. along with I-wonder-if-this-a-link? random hits.

    Posted 16 years ago #

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