Re: No Emails for Sports Prediction Program, only Downloads

[David Kastrup]

Inventor <Inventor-66@comcast.net> writes:

> I just released my Sports Prediction Program under the GNU GPL last
> week.  I mentioned it on two newsgroup posts and so far have gotten
> about 25 hits on the website, but zero courtesy emails.  Is it
> common for people to just take the software without so much as a
> thank-you email?

Yes.  Many people are just testing and scrapping stuff, not actually
using it.  Those would not even have cause to thank you.  Most others
would not feel particularly triggered to mail people about downloads.

Expect about 2 mail feedbacks per 1000 downloads, and 4 of 5 feedbacks
are coupled with feature requests or bug reports.  Expect about 1 in
20000 downloads to offer some monetary appreciation or other
contribution.

> The same thing happened when I released some Quake software a few
> months ago on www.planetquake.com.
>
> If GNU is in part a community of like-minded folks, then why is this
> behavior so prevalent?  Well, I guess i shouldn't complain since I
> didn't leave email comments when I downloaded GNU software.

See?

> Still, I was hoping for some limited amount of community or friendly
> exchange to take place.  Perhaps it is too early as football season
> is still months away.
>
> If anyone is interersted in seeing the web page, it is here:
> http://homepage.mac.com/thingsofrings/sports/index.htm
>
> Also, I have thought of making the software available via email only
> to force a "hello" from each downloader, but that just doesn't seem
> right.  Looking for advice and comments.  Thanks.

If you want to have feedback, try asking for a postcard _explicitly_
in your release announcement/README.

It will still be a somewhat disproportionate feedback to actual uses,
but you also have to remember that a number of downloads are from web
spiders and similar.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum