Popularity Contest

[woodyb12]

Hey all;
I just wanted to post that I just installed "popularity-contest" on my MX-18.3 machine. I also visited the Debian "Popcorn" website. I was surprised to see that MX was nowhere on the list. Which, I thought might be the case; sadly!
Now I didn't notice if there was an "option" in the MX installer, but, I didn't see it. Maybe it should be an option in the installer! I had to manually install from the package-manager. If it were to be an option during the installation, maybe more people would be aware of it and install it. Wouldn't it be sweet to know ( roughly ) how many people are using this distribution.
I have read on this site a post where someone was saying how popular MX was because it was ranked pretty high on Distro-watch; only to have one of the ( moderators?? ) explain that a high ranking on that site only really shows how "unpopular" it was, because the ranking was based on click-through's. Which the [ moderator??] assumed was because users of the site didn't know about MX; or, were just "checking it out!"
Now folks, I am a HUGE fan of MX! I think I have made that known in more ways than one since I have been coming to this site, and I think everyone should install the popularity-contest package and let the world know about MX. It could be the next " light weight champion of the World! "
Seriously, though. I do think that having MX REALLY counted in a statistic that means something positive is a great thing.
The popularity-contest package can be installed by going to MX Package Installer->search bar-> type in "popularity-contest"->click on the "stable repo" tab-> and check the appropriate package. That's it! From then on ( I think, once-a-week ) your Distribution and package use will be sent to Debian maintainers and can be checked @ http://www.popcorn.debian.org. So, c'mon everybody; get those machines registered! It is safe ( NOT a backdoor! ), and it shows strong support for MX-Linux!

[Stuart_M]

You posted an incorrect (dead) link. The correct link is https://popcon.debian.org.

It is also incorrectly spelled in the second sentence - popcon is derived from POPularity CONtest.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

BunsenLabs is in the distribution list and I think we had to liaise with the Debian developers to get it added. Can't remember the details though.

If Stevo asks johnraff over at the BL forums then he will probably be able to supply the required information.

[Friedrich]

BunsenLabs is in the distribution list and I think we had to liaise with the Debian developers to get it added. Can't remember the details though.

Some guidelines for debian derivatives concerning Popcon are to be found here:
https://wiki.debian.org/Derivatives/Gui ... ty_Contest

[Stevo]

BunsenLabs is in the distribution list and I think we had to liaise with the Debian developers to get it added. Can't remember the details though.

If Stevo asks johnraff over at the BL forums then he will probably be able to supply the required information.

Maybe better if the project head asks, instead of just a packager.

Besides, I will no doubt shortly be deep underground and out of touch in my coronavirus-Yellowstone ash cloud-zombpocalypse-AI singularity proof bunker. On the plus side, if the only survivors are using MX, our popularity goes through the roof!

[Michael-IDA]

> https://popcon.debian.org/

Based upon the last graph on the page (Submissions by distributions (last 12 months), Popcon is either highly flawed or just out right gamed by the distro dev’s. Ubuntu, at 6th place, hovers in the 15-20 range all year, while the niche Devuan is basically double that?

Ignoring the problematic nature of any of these “phone home” program’s statistics reliability, my personal opinion is any use of telemetry data is evil. Capital “E” evil. Sure a user can do a one time check that the data you’re originally asking for contains some sort of legitimacy, but the actual telemetry data sent is subject to any change the package maintainer wants upon any update. My opinion, it is capital “E” evil to ask a user to A) remember what is sending telemetry data and B) force them to do a code review every time the package changes, especially when C) most users are incapable of doing a code review in the first place.

In closing, please don’t add any telemetry data “opt-in” to MX. *

Best Regards,
Michael

* ‘Cause is it really opt-in?
https://www.techradar.com/news/two-thir ... n-their-pc
“...some folks are pretty click-happy during a software installation, and tend to leave things on the default settings. ... Canonical describes the ‘opt-in rate’ being 67% in its blog post analyzing the initial data collected, despite the fact that this is not an opt-in process.”

[Mauser]

The package popularity-contest is spyware which is why many Ubuntu based distros rip it out and through it in the garbage where it belongs.

[turtlebay777]

Forgive me stating my own point of view, but really most of the newbies coming over from Windows seem to think Linux has to be made popular to be successful. They don't seem to realise that we don't really want our distros winning popularity contests just so long as they work to our satisfaction. The Window heads forget that Linux isn't about commercial success like Microsoft, it's made for it's users, that's all.

[freemedia2018]

Forgive me stating my own point of view, but really most of the newbies coming over from Windows seem to think Linux has to be made popular to be successful. They don't seem to realise that we don't really want our distros winning popularity contests just so long as they work to our satisfaction.

it isnt quite that simple. we certainly dont want to turn the stuff that we like because its different into a halfway clone of windows just to get "more users to switch." thats what newbies often get wrong, and i agree with you on that.

nor do i run popcon. i file that under "none of your business, debian." even so, i get that (unfortunately) debian makes excuses to axe things that "dont have users." so this isnt just about winning a popularity contest. its about keeping things that debian might get rid of otherwise, which we then have to either package ourselves or simply not have anymore. like leafpad, for example-- they got rid of it recently. im very sad about it.

sure, i can compile it myself-- in theory at least. but before i could tell people just to sudo apt-get install leafpad. popcon (again, unfortunately) does inform debian maintainers and packagers about what to keep. that alas, has nothing to do with newbies who think we are trying to clone windows.

to some extent, and only are the effects are devastating, popcon is a bit like a hostage situation for packages. "turn the service on, or the package gets it!" i suppose this is one aspect of debian where it would be nice if we didnt need their services at all. because we would call the shots there.

[woodyb12]

Sorry about the link. I won't make excuses; however, I am old, half blind, hard of hearing, and, my feet don't match! I can't dance and I can't type ( very well).
So, there you have it. (;>)
I am not "click-happy" as some might think. I volunteered to send info to Debian because I believe that they do not use the information the way Microsoft and Apple do. And if I am wrong: show me the facts! I do have confidence that they will protect that information to the best of their ability. The same way that I believe that MX ( as a product of GNU-Linux, as is Debian ) protects my privacy by being a secure and safe Operating System.
And I believe that by using the "popularity-contest" package I am trying to "actively" support MX.
That's it.