Suggestion: App Voting System ('App X is the best for doing Y')

int3 · 2010-04-29 19:14:38

There are several threads dedicated to these topics, especially the yearly 'Light and Fast' awards. However, for those threads to be useful, someone either has to read through the various posts describing their favorites, or (for the LnF awards) someone has to tally the votes manually.

So I thought it would be nice to write a little webapp where people can vote for their favorite apps in various categories. Apart from saving time spent vote-tallying, this could serve other functions as well: Community contributions could be promoted by the author listing the project on said webapp, and getting people to vote it up (if they really like it.) Graphing popularity trends would also be easy.

However, the problem with this is that I'd have to find some way to authenticate people -- wouldn't want just anyone spam-voting up the apps. Ideally, I'd like to limit it to those who have accounts on this forum. I'm not really sure how to do this in a way that doesn't compromise security though. Would the devs care to let me host something on the server that queried the forum user database?

That issue aside, I'm curious to know if anyone else thinks that it's a good idea.

Peanut · 2010-04-29 19:55:19

Good suggestion, I agree. We do already have e.g. forum threads and certain wiki pages dedicated to the subject, but I think it would be interesting to graph the popularity of said applications through a common webapp.

Moo-Crumpus · 2010-04-29 21:05:34

Ah no. I see endless flame wars rising.

int3 · 2010-04-29 21:20:21

Moo-Crumpus: I don't see endless flame wars rising on the existing app-comparison threads.

ngoonee · 2010-04-30 02:16:48

int3 wrote:

Moo-Crumpus: I don't see endless flame wars rising on the existing app-comparison threads.

Arch users are generally a homogenous bunch. One-way flame wars aren't fun at all.

.:B:. · 2010-04-30 02:42:07

If you want voting, use Distrowatch.

Not everyone is looking for the same functionality. Arch users use Gnome, KDE, Xfce, Ion, DWM, or no DE/WM at all. There are tons of guides for Windows users on the most popular applications etc. The bases are covered. The Arch forum is not the place for stuff like this.

So, I vote Openbox is the best WM. Who wants to rant on that? Raise your hand!

Kiwi · 2010-04-30 05:12:06

Openbox is the best floating WM but it is self evident that Awesome is the best overall.

smakked · 2010-04-30 06:41:38

Best is really personal taste, what works for one person might not work for someone else. What someone else likes the other person doesnt. Flamewar is coming int this thread

jt512 · 2010-04-30 07:18:03

I vote for emacs.

ngoonee · 2010-04-30 09:47:22

Kiwi wrote:

Openbox is the best floating WM but it is self evident that Awesome is the best overall.

Compiz ftw!

Zeist · 2010-04-30 11:25:31

I vote for Emacs as best application for giving RSI.

(Example on how starting a flame war would work).

kaitocracy · 2010-04-30 15:00:43

Just a suggestion, one way to do this would be to query http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?O … a&detail=1, and so on each time incrementing the 'O' parameter until the package list is exhausted and then parse the HTML. A script to do that should be easy to write, and if it's done once in a while it shouldn't hit the Arch servers too hard.

Llama · 2010-04-30 16:33:04

It isn't interesting what I think. It's interesting what I use. It would be very instructive to know which app is the most popular where the competition is in some way meaningful and where one can save time and effort by simply checking the ratings.

For instance, it'spointless to try to determine the popularity of Gnome vs KDE, but the knowledge of the most used and usable Qt-Gtk theme is valuable and time-saving.

I'd like to know what TeX/LaTeX people really use for their working environments, which netowrk manager is most popular across all desktop environments, what note taking app is worth looking into, and so forth.

There's a lot of reviews all over the Google, but an inhouse rating would still make a useful guide. It all depends on the way how the questions get asked, of course.

dunc · 2010-05-06 13:11:37

I think you're right, Llama. Quite often, I pacman -Ss for a particular category of package (bad example, but say "ssh") and get presented with maybe a dozen results, with no way of knowing which is the most commonly used, best supported (within Arch), or easiest to use (with Arch). A simple vote or usage stat, while not a complete answer, would be very useful as a rough guide.

Arch Linux

#1 2010-04-29 19:14:38

Suggestion: App Voting System ('App X is the best for doing Y')

#2 2010-04-29 19:55:19

Re: Suggestion: App Voting System ('App X is the best for doing Y')

#3 2010-04-29 21:05:34

Re: Suggestion: App Voting System ('App X is the best for doing Y')

#4 2010-04-29 21:20:21

Re: Suggestion: App Voting System ('App X is the best for doing Y')

#5 2010-04-30 02:16:48

Re: Suggestion: App Voting System ('App X is the best for doing Y')

#6 2010-04-30 02:42:07

Re: Suggestion: App Voting System ('App X is the best for doing Y')

#7 2010-04-30 05:12:06

Re: Suggestion: App Voting System ('App X is the best for doing Y')

#8 2010-04-30 06:41:38

Re: Suggestion: App Voting System ('App X is the best for doing Y')

#9 2010-04-30 07:18:03

Re: Suggestion: App Voting System ('App X is the best for doing Y')

#10 2010-04-30 09:47:22

Re: Suggestion: App Voting System ('App X is the best for doing Y')

#11 2010-04-30 11:25:31

Re: Suggestion: App Voting System ('App X is the best for doing Y')

#12 2010-04-30 15:00:43

Re: Suggestion: App Voting System ('App X is the best for doing Y')

#13 2010-04-30 16:33:04

Re: Suggestion: App Voting System ('App X is the best for doing Y')

#14 2010-05-06 13:11:37

Re: Suggestion: App Voting System ('App X is the best for doing Y')

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