[aur-general] How to see the interest in a package (other than votes)?

[Dave Reisner]

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 outdated, but would nevertheless be interested in installing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