Too many updates

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SYSTEM
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Re: Too many updates

#31 Post by SYSTEM »

NK2Edit has been updated six times during the last 18 days. This is getting quite annoying. (Poor NK2Edit users... I think this fast release cycle is even more annoying for them. ;) )
Andrew Lee wrote: Another things we can do is to limited the "push to top" behaviour to only one update per app per n days. This means the first time an app is updated, it is pushed to the top, but subsequent updates within the n day period will not have the same effect. If n = 1, I think it is still a pretty reasonable constraint.
My suggestion is to limit how many times an application can be pushed to top during one month, say five. If an application is updated sixth (seventh, eighth) time per month, it won't be pushed to top until the month changes. Doing so would still allow emergency updates to be noticed if the app hasn't been updated too often earlier in the same month.
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JohnTHaller
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Re: Too many updates

#32 Post by JohnTHaller »

5 would seem to be overkill. Normal software shouldn't be updating more than twice a month at most. More updates than that on a regular basis and it would seem that the app is more of a continuously-updated development build rather than a stable version.
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Checker
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Re: Too many updates

#33 Post by Checker »

How will you notice an important update, if this is sadly the sixth update of the month :?:

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webfork
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Re: Too many updates

#34 Post by webfork »

Checker wrote:How will you notice an important update, if this is sadly the sixth update of the month :?:
I love that Nirsoft is continuing to update software. That's always awesome. However, the front page of portablefreeware.com is basically a news site and you've got to ask yourself if the capability to generate HTML Report is really news. Second, if a lot of updates are coming out frequently, maybe we should wait a bit for one or two more updates to come out to make update about it.

That said, updates should always be considered on a one-on-one basis since things like critical bugs for very popular software may happen 6 times over a very short period but you still want all 6 updates. If Firefox had a problem like that, its definitely news.

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Re: Too many updates

#35 Post by infimum »

Someone's garbage is another one's treasure.

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guinness
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Re: Too many updates

#36 Post by guinness »

Someone's garbage is another one's treasure.
I have to agree, if one member doesn't see it as being a worthy update another may. This topic has been discussed before and the conclusion was, if a user wishes to update then they can. With too many rules in place of what constitutes as an update will become confusing for new members, especially those that want to contribute to TPFC.

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Napiophelios
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Re: Too many updates

#37 Post by Napiophelios »

All it takes is for someone to edit some spelling in a database entry and you have an "update".
so I think the monthly update limit should be considered.

Alot of sites link to TPFC's Latest Entries page and its kinda weird seeing the same app
at the top of some lists with absolutely no actual changes in what you would be downloading.

I mean unless the version number is changed, the edits shouldnt be counted as an update.

Maybe have a pending list of updated apps
(user's can edit and see the latest changes made to TPFC DB entries
but pending for a moderator's review handle's the updated "Bump")

just my 2 cents. :mrgreen:

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guinness
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Re: Too many updates

#38 Post by guinness »

moderator's review
The problem is there are currently a limited number of moderators on TPFC.

The update tag is always there once the version number has changed! I see as useful as shows this isn't a new addition.

- But then again maybe the update tag is useless since if it doesn't have Private or Added then it must be an update or some description.

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chadross
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Re: Too many updates

#39 Post by chadross »

Perhaps the update flag should only be triggered if the version number changes and not just the content of the entry.

linuxx
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Re: Too many updates

#40 Post by linuxx »

HINT: You don't have to update -everything-, but do allow those who ARE due for a new version to get the newest/latest/greatest version. Don't deny others just because it's work for you.

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Napiophelios
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Re: Too many updates

#41 Post by Napiophelios »

Napiophelios wrote:
guinness wrote:The update tag is always there once the version number has changed! I see as useful as shows this isn't a new addition.
...I mean unless the version number is changed, the edits shouldnt be counted as an update...
chadross wrote:Perhaps the update flag should only be triggered if the version number changes and not just the content of the entry.
That's exactly what I was trying to say :P
linuxx wrote:HINT: You don't have to update -everything-, but do allow those who ARE due for a new version to get the newest/latest/greatest version. Don't deny others just because it's work for you.
I really dont think anyone has suggested not showing actual program updates...my comment is directed towards the fact that if I correct some punctuation in an entry the system flags it as an update and pushes it to the top of the list.
I personally dont care how many times a program is updated so long as its an actual update from the author.

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Re: Too many updates

#42 Post by webfork »

infimum wrote:Someone's garbage is another one's treasure.
It may be counter-intuitive, but part of the success of this site has to do with the fact that there are fewer updates. A huge problem with the Internet is information overload and we as a site keep that under control. The very nature of having humans updating the site rather than some kind of automatic program like what exists at Softpedia and VersionTracker is to have analysis and consideration.
guinness wrote:With too many rules in place of what constitutes as an update will become confusing for new members, especially those that want to contribute to TPFC.
Definitely. Updating entries takes some work and nobody's getting paid. To those trying to help out, we should never say no and do more than just say yes: we should say thank you. If moderator review means users feel like they're cut off from improving the site, that's bad.
chadross wrote:Perhaps the update flag should only be triggered if the version number changes and not just the content of the entry.
That's the current setting.

infimum
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Re: Too many updates

#43 Post by infimum »

webfork wrote:
infimum wrote:Someone's garbage is another one's treasure.
It may be counter-intuitive, but part of the success of this site has to do with the fact that there are fewer updates. A huge problem with the Internet is information overload and we as a site keep that under control.
Again, who is to judge if it's garbage or treasure?

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SYSTEM
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Re: Too many updates

#44 Post by SYSTEM »

Checker wrote:How will you notice an important update, if this is sadly the sixth update of the month :?:
Something is wrong in the first place if an application has updated already five times in the month.

The following is an example of what I still consider normal:
  • Minor update at the beginning of the month (say 3.41)
  • Major update a couple of weeks later (3.5)
  • Two emergency updates after that (3.51 and 3.52)
JohnTHaller wrote:5 would seem to be overkill.
I disagree. See the above example.
webfork wrote:That said, updates should always be considered on a one-on-one basis since things like critical bugs for very popular software may happen 6 times over a very short period but you still want all 6 updates.
If there are six updates in a row, the first update hasn't been tested enough. In that case, quoting John:
JohnTHaller wrote:...it would seem that the app is more of a continuously-updated development build rather than a stable version.
guinness wrote:This topic has been discussed before and the conclusion was, if a user wishes to update then they can. With too many rules in place of what constitutes as an update will become confusing for new members, especially those that want to contribute to TPFC.
The users should still be allowed to update version numbers as often as they wish. I suggested that the website system would limit the visibility of the updates, so that if there are too many, the application is no longer pushed to the front page (and maybe no longer mentioned in the feed) until the month changes.
linuxx wrote:HINT: You don't have to update -everything-, but do allow those who ARE due for a new version to get the newest/latest/greatest version. Don't deny others just because it's work for you.
I use WebVersions weekly to find updates other TPFC members have missed. I only use 51 portable applications, but I've noticed that I need WebVersions quite often. If you want all updates immediately (like I do :P ), following the feed of TPFC is not enough.

----

My main point is that something should be done. It is simply annoying to see the same program in TPFC feed every third day.

BTW, implementing a new feature doesn't force the developer to release a new version. See what LIGHTNING UK! (the author of ImgBurn) does: http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=changelog
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Napiophelios
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Re: Too many updates

#45 Post by Napiophelios »

SYSTEM wrote:----

My main point is that something should be done. It is simply annoying to see the same program in TPFC feed every third day.

BTW, implementing a new feature doesn't force the developer to release a new version. See what LIGHTNING UK! (the author of ImgBurn) does: http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=changelog
webfork wrote:
chadross wrote:Perhaps the update flag should only be triggered if the version number changes and not just the content of the entry.
That's the current setting.
I think the RSS feed should now reflect the new settings Webfork mentions :D
If so I am happy as a clam.

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