How to know how many users/downloads a program has

  • Thread starter Thread starter FirstName LastName
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FirstName LastName

It's a recurring question many freeware authors have.
This came up in the D2MP thread. The author uses a hardware dependent
registration scheme. He makes this to know how many installations of his
program exists. Feedback and asserting how many people are using his
program is very important to him. Is a incentive to continuing working
on it.

So, this my question:

Is there a way to know how many people are using a app without using
registration schemes?
 
FirstName said:
It's a recurring question many freeware authors have.
This came up in the D2MP thread. The author uses a hardware dependent
registration scheme. He makes this to know how many installations of his
program exists. Feedback and asserting how many people are using his
program is very important to him. Is a incentive to continuing working
on it.

So, this my question:

Is there a way to know how many people are using a app without using
registration schemes?
Click to expand...

Answering to myself. Duh

I already suggested submitting it to freeware sites.
But there is one that not only allow hosting but provide statistics.
http://sourceforge.net/

SourceForge.net: Service Listing (en):
<http://sourceforge.net/docs/B02/en/#top>
 
FirstName said:
SourceForge.net: Service Listing (en):
<http://sourceforge.net/docs/B02/en/#top>
Click to expand...

Good eye, FirstName.

This may be the answer for a lot of freeware authors but not all. There
are going to be some who do not want to depend on other systems and/or
services to generate the data they want.

In short, I don't have an answer to your question other than we should
keep looking.

thanks for the interesting thread,
-Craig
 
FirstName said:
Is there a way to know how many people are using a app without
using registration schemes?
Click to expand...

Counting downloads only works if the software is never distributed on
one of those DVD's that many computer magazines deliver with their
product.

One fairly non-intrusive counting method is by update checking. When
the program is first started, an unique ID is generated. This could be
hardware based or something simple, such as the current time or just a
random number. The user is presented with the option of automatic
checking for new versions, and is told about the counting thing.

When the program checks for updates, it calls a server-side script:
http://mysoftware.invalid/updateCheck?id=myuniqueid . This also has the
added value that it represents active users, not just registered ones.

Hmm... I think I'll add that to my freeware program...


The idea could be extended, so that a third option (the two other
being "check for updates" and "do not check") could be to inform the
author once.
 
On Fri, 28 Apr 2006 13:58:24 +0100, FirstName LastName

Answering to myself. Duh
Click to expand...
I already suggested submitting it to freeware sites.
But there is one that not only allow hosting but provide statistics.
http://sourceforge.net/
Click to expand...
SourceForge.net: Service Listing (en):
<http://sourceforge.net/docs/B02/en/#top>
Click to expand...

Yes, but that would only show the number of times a program is
downloaded. Not how many people are using it.

A ONE TIME registration would give a number for how many people are
using it. It does NOT need to be tied to hardware, or anything else.
Just disable use if not registered in 30 days.

Regards, John.

--
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v http://clients.net2000.com.au/~johnf/
 
FirstName said:
It's a recurring question many freeware authors have.
This came up in the D2MP thread. The author uses a hardware dependent
registration scheme. He makes this to know how many installations of his
program exists. Feedback and asserting how many people are using his
program is very important to him. Is a incentive to continuing working
on it.

So, this my question:

Is there a way to know how many people are using a app without using
registration schemes?
Click to expand...

If it's freeware, who cares?
 
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