Collecting information

[Alexander Dalloz]

Am Di, den 05.07.2005 schrieb Rahul Sundaram um 14:27:

> >>Fedora needs a mechanism to collect user and hardware information with a 
> >>opt-in mechanism. Similar lines of discussions here
> >>http://mail.gnome.org/archives/desktop-devel-list/2005-July/msg00042.html

I like the idea to know something about the user base (how much users in
the different countries, gender proportion [Fedora attractive for female
users?], Gnome | KDE rating).

> >>What do you think is the best way to do this?

I feel it is a must that the data collection is on a volunteers basis.
It must be easy to understand, easy to give away data - to know to whom
and how much personalized! - and easy to quit submitting the own data.
Clear list of transfered information.
Any kind of doubts like with the Microsoft Windows® build-in update
process must be strictly avoided. 

> >Not sure about how to do it, but it'd be nice if it also included package
> >installation/use info a la the Debian Popularity Contest
> ><http://popcon.debian.org/>.

Nice too. Could be an indicator what to have in Core and what in Extras.
Rating third party repository popularity.

> Ok so the following tasks then
> 
> * A tool to collect package stats
> * A tool to collect hardware information

Remembering back the days of Red Hat Linux up2date did something like
that. So some code should be there (please don't ask me how much it
qualifies for Fedora purposes). RHN registration was an enforcement back
in these days to be able to use up2date.

> * A form to fill out for users to send in more information to the 
> project with appropriate "incentives" to do it

Yes, must be attractive for the Fedora user to spent time and to offer
data. Fedora project gains data, the individual user feels bound to the
OS in some way ("proud to be Fedora")

> Rahul

Some unsorted quick thoughts:
- reliable insurance that data can't be misused and be removed by user
on request
- menu entry or applet for ease of use
- applet showing the current Fedora population
- world map with locations of registered users (not naming them, not
required form entry)
- each registered user gets his personal registration number (like
http://counter.li.org/), maybe some kind of "certificate" like the
seti at home project generates one for number of processed seti packages;
counter for age of Fedora community "membership"?
- heartbeat functionality to release old database host entries where
user didn't signed off
- once done initial data registration user must get explicit note about
scheduled recollection and must be able to cancel processing

Alexander


-- 
Alexander Dalloz | Enger, Germany | GPG http://pgp.mit.edu 0xB366A773
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