Application Database RFC

[Tony Lambregts]

Andreas Mohr wrote:

>Way too complicated IMHO.
>
>Do you really think people will put up with this system if currently
>they very frequently don't even mention whether they actually tried the app
>on Wine and what results they got ?
>(yes, I added a comment which asks them to also mention this)
>
>A lot of the submissions that I commit leave several things to be desired,
>too (which I frequently improve a lot before committing, which shouldn't
>really be my job, though).
>
>IMHO the fact that the current *easy* rating system doesn't get used properly
>sort of indicates that it would be even worse with a more complicated system.
>One possible bad result:
>less people putting up with submitting apps, because it's "too much work",
>thus dramatically fewer apps listed.
>Do we want that ?
>
>IMHO we want as many apps listed as possible, even with a somewhat fuzzy
>picture, as opposed to simply listing Office, IE, HalfLife and Starcraft
>with perfect rating and description.
>
>People do want to know whether a particular highly weird app
>(take "Femta" as an example ;-) might have the slightest chance of running
>on Wine, so having a relatively broad base is also pretty important.
>
>  
>
Of course its more complicated. The only response that I have to this is 
my real life experience with my other hobbie LEGO.  Over the years LEGO 
has put out thousands of sets. About a year and a half ago someone 
decided that it would be nice to have a database of what all these sets 
contained with cross references for all the pieces.  Over time people 
have added to the database. In some cases it _just_ involed opening the 
package and counting the number of each type of piece, getting the right 
part number of each type of piece,  entering the inventory into a text 
file and submitting it by email. In some  (a lot) cases it involved 
building the model from pieces first. You can check it out at 
http://peeron.com/inv

Rating the apps is not the same as submitting the apps and of course 
some people could not be bothered. However having a good rating system 
would encourage people to use it.  There are people like me that will go 
to the kind of effort needed to build this properly if it is set up.  A 
lot of the programs are freely downloadable or have a demo. People who 
do not have the skill level to be developers would have a way to 
contribute. It is amazing what people will do if it is important to them.

The question is this: Would the rating system that I have proposed be 
usefull to users and developers?  For me the answer is yes and I say "If 
you build it they will come".

Tony Lambregts

Tony Lambregts