[daip] Distribution Reporting

[Patrick P. Murphy]

"JU" == Jim Ulvestad <julvesta at aoc.nrao.edu> writes:

JU> Ernest Allen wrote:

EA> This is what a full report looks like, I've added comments under each
EA> section on how info is compiled.

JU> I don't think we need to spend time compiling statistics on what
JU> countries get AIPS; that isn't reported anywhere that I'm aware of.

I concur.  In the heyday of AIPS, when Alan Bridle and others were doing
site surveys, it was important.

JU> I think the same about the registrations, since the registrants are only
JU> a small fraction of the people who get AIPS.

Problem is, the registration is often the only way we can figure out the
details you said you want in the next paragraph!

JU> I do, however, think we should continue the statistics of the flavor
JU> of operating system/machine for which people fetch AIPS,

If someone downloads the source tarball, we have zero information on their
OS or machine type.  The only hope we have of getting any information from
these downloads (and subsequent re-distribution, which under the GPL is
legal), is via registration or something similar.  Right now the install
wizard and the older INSTEP1 both fire up the registration script, which
asks the installer for some information.  Maybe we should revisit what
info is requested, how (e-mail or web?), and what we offer as a "reward"
for the user giving us the info.

Yes, we'll never get a complete picture this way, but we will get _some_
information.

				- Pat