Look At All Our Downloads!

from the one-two-four-eighteen dept

Plenty of companies tout the number of downloads of their software as if it's a meaningful metric -- with Skype as one of the most egregious examples. It's pretty obvious, though, that those figures are pretty useless, for a variety of reasons. For instance, MySQL says nearly 1 in 100 people in Japan have downloaded its software, a pretty staggering statistic. Of course, they count incomplete or failed downloads, and don't bother with counting unique users. So the next time somebody touts all their downloads -- and parlays that into a billion-dollar deal, take it with a grain of salt.

18 Comments | Leave a Comment..


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  1.  

    Preaching to the Choir

    identicon
    bigpicture, Feb 3rd, 2006 @ 5:23pm

    You are stating the obvious to the people who know anything about the internet. Why don't you ask the RIAA how they get their download information, that they use to prosecute the hell out of people. Maybe theirs is more accurate, don't you think?

    reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  

    Downloads...

    identicon
    Evan, Feb 3rd, 2006 @ 6:28pm

    I download VirtualDub everytime I use it, hehe.

    reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  

    Re: Preaching to the Choir

    identicon
    Andrew Schilling, Feb 3rd, 2006 @ 8:09pm

    reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  

    They'll get it sooner or later...

    identicon
    Andrew Strasser, Feb 3rd, 2006 @ 11:25pm

    The VHS warning didn't scare us if you give us a product we will use it. If you expect us to not use our products then we might as well all just quit. There wouldn't be need if it had no purpose the one thing I think this site has been trying to get across for quite some time.

    Compare this to maybe every person that got a windows system within the last few years and didn't get their windows disk for their operating system should then maybe all bajnd together and sue? I mean where does it stop?

    reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  

    Re: They'll get it sooner or later...

    identicon
    Diogenes, Feb 4th, 2006 @ 2:44am

    Andrew,
    You really do not want to know the true answer to that question.But since I did stop and make a comment I will leave some clues as to my meaning in the form of: a statement, an axiom, and an aphorism
    Statement:
    While we have enjoyed a Pax Americana for the last 60 odd years, the summer wanes and winter comes.
    Axiom:Those who forget the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them.
    Aphorism:
    I would rather die early doing a job I love, than live than live longer doing a job that I hate.

    reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  

    Re: They'll get it sooner or later...

    identicon
    Duck Grossberg, Feb 4th, 2006 @ 3:25am

    Uh......wow....You shure told him.
    Now we can go watch Tron on our Beta Max.

    reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  7.  

    Re: They'll get it sooner or later...

    identicon
    Professor HighBrow, Feb 4th, 2006 @ 4:49am

    Pardon me, but what the hell are you talking about Diogenes Nostramus?

    So what is the "true" answer to the question?
    Andrew stated a clear point. People are entiled to a products use or the now unclear "fair use" if they buy it. And he's correct, no one gives a crap about the scare tactics and FBI warnings on video tapes or DVDs or anything else for that matter.

    People are tired of the "debate" because there really is no debate. It's the consumer vs. self-serving companies that could care less about your privacy, your rights as the purchaser of a product, or their abuse of civil courts to sue people that can't afford to defend themselves.

    [E.g. You buy a PC with Windows included, but can't upgrade your system as they please and still install a "legal" version.] - That liscensce is yours for that version no matter what you do.

    If it weren't large monopolistic organizations with plenty of [your, and the artists they ripped off's] money, they would have any business left, because people would just go somewhere else.

    That is NOT a free market, and favors the corporation over the consumer.

    Until politians become tech savvy and represent the opinions of their constituants and take action (This would be a cold day in Hell)
    OR
    Somehow organized Boycotts can have a substantial affect;

    The public will continue to get screwed over with DMCA, Copyright law perversion, and whatever else "they" think they can get away with.
    Bend over further, John Q. Public. We can't quite stick yah deep enuff.


    Professor Highbrow



    reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  8.  

    Re: They'll get it sooner or later...

    identicon
    Diogenes, Feb 4th, 2006 @ 4:50am

    Duck,

    lol, I am not exactly speaking from beneath the depths of great and still waters Duck.

    If we are going to use the references of relics and the lessons of things come and gone to exchange barbs, I would recommend that you speak to Ozymandias in the hopes that it might quicken your wit and sharpen your tongue. After which this might offer some small sport.

    Ever at your service,
    -Diogenes

    reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  9.  

    Re: They'll get it sooner or later...

    identicon
    Diogenes, Feb 4th, 2006 @ 5:09am

    Professor
    The true answer? do you really want me to answer? you may find the response a bit bleak to your taste, given what I little I can glean from you just wrote.

    awaiting your response and ever at your service,
    -Diogenes

    reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  10.  

    Re: They'll get it sooner or later...

    identicon
    Eifersucht, Feb 4th, 2006 @ 5:28am

    Can you guys really argue all day about nothing ?

    reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  11.  

    Re: They'll get it sooner or later...

    identicon
    Coward, Feb 4th, 2006 @ 6:10am

    Holy second grade writing skills Batman!

    reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  12.  

    Re: They'll get it sooner or later...

    identicon
    Andrew Strasser, Feb 4th, 2006 @ 6:20am

    ouch...


    Alpha waves anyone know other than it's the area for telekinesis it's classified.

    reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  13.  

    Re: They'll get it sooner or later...

    identicon
    Andrew Strasser, Feb 4th, 2006 @ 6:27am

    Then again I won't grace ere again so what.... It falls from the top as the weekend progresses.

    reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  14.  

    Re: Preaching to the Choir

    identicon
    bigpicture, Feb 4th, 2006 @ 1:50pm

    Sorry, I was maybe improperly using sarcasm about this subject.

    reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  15.  

    Re: Preaching to the Choir

    identicon
    Adrian Kimberly, Feb 4th, 2006 @ 6:29pm

    My, how quickly the wheels fell offa this little Radio-Flyer thread. Near record time. I used to love Skype (and I still use it every day, saving me a LOT of money), but I don't trust it like it did before the completely evil eBay bought it. And it's download counter (and their unseemly braggling about it) always was but a sideshow to the treat that is Skype. They have a sense of human and it shows. I rather like that as a marketing tool.

    reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  16.  

    Re: They'll get it sooner or later...

    identicon
    Andrew Strasser, Feb 4th, 2006 @ 9:17pm

    No wonder I don't use this much it's e-bay related... I had wondered why I hadn't used it much. Glass of Vlos anyone?

    reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  17.  

    Re: They'll get it sooner or later...

    identicon
    Phil, Feb 4th, 2006 @ 11:25pm

    "No wonder I don't use this much it's e-bay related"

    written from you windows machine ;-)
    after having talked with your friend with Yahoo messenger, or MSN ?
    Come on guy, all these companies are evil...
    Only little plus for Skype is that it is forbidden in French universities because the Governemnt cannot tap into it. They never forbade any other messenger or VoIP... guess why :-)

    reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  18.  

    Re: They'll get it sooner or later...

    identicon
    Andrew Strasser, Feb 5th, 2006 @ 12:00pm

    There are other forms of communication... Much easier really for the govt. to look at what goes on on your computer no matter what software you run. Maybe not in France, but the US has proven it's a bit different than France before.

    reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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