Re: Re: We need usage data - please review

Thanks for your comments, Jano.

<quote who="Jan Rojcek">
> your goal is to integrate the project into the standard NetBeans
> distribution, right?

I was asked to get this into M6 or so.

> As for the UI integration into the IDE, it really contains two parts:
>
> 1. Asking for permission to send the data. This includes gaining the
> user's confidence that we're not sending any private data over the
> network.
> 2. Offer the user a return value for the data we gather. This
> includes the tip of the day and potentially other things.

Ok. Nice terminology cleanup.

> For the first version of this feature in standard distribution, I
> would recommend a simplistic approach, which means only asking the
> user for permission to send the data. Once we see we can do something
> useful with data we get, then we can think about ways to deliver
> something back to the user. Currently I don't think we have a
> specific plan for it apart from saying it might be interesting to the
> user.

Indeed I need to get some real data first before I can find out what to do 
with them. I was expecting that I need about 1000 submitions to create at 
least few (five) useful tips of the day. 

I mean I agree that the "return value" can wait. However I'd like this part be 
fully hosted on the "server side" - so it can be changed anytime, without 
installing any module on the client. I know this is not much about UI, but I 
guess this is important flexibility that is likely to be found handy later.

> If we agree on simplistic approach, then solution might look
> something like this: The installer wizard shows a panel asking for
> permission to send the data. 

Possible for final release.

> If the user agrees to send the data, the 
> IDE would then send the data silently maybe with each connection to
> update center, 
> or each exit, or some other suitable time. 

Exit time is more suitable than "update center time", because at "update 
center time", there are usually no recorded actions yet.

> Other than  
> that there would be no other UI changes needed.

This would be fine for a release (except that by then there we are capable of 
providing the "returned value", whatever it will be), however we need this to 
work in daily builds soon and as far as I know those are mostly downloaded in 
ZIP form. As such the installer approach is not likely to work for our 
current audience very much. Imho we need a UI, but the UI can be suppressed 
by installer.

Give me more comments, please.
-jst


> On 29 Nov 2006, at 10:26, Jaroslav Tulach wrote:
> > I'd like to solve one painful problem we have and that is: We do
> > not know how
> > many users use given feature in the NetBeans based applications
> > including the
> > IDE.
> >
> > The good news is that times are changing. I am about to implement a
> > feature
> > which permits for NB users to send back logs of what they did. I
> > have written
> > a proposal describing the solution. Check usecases:
> >
> > http://www.netbeans.org/download/dev/javadoc/org-netbeans-modules-
> > uihandler/overview-summary.html
> >
> > and scenarios and a bit of ascii art at
> >
> > http://www.netbeans.org/source/browse/*checkout*/logger/uihandler/
> > src/org/netbeans/modules/uihandler/api/doc-files/ui.html
> >
> > I would strongly recommend to implement the project and use these
> > data. Not
> > doing so will result in something like. "None uses image module,
> > anyway".
> > Hmm, but maybe this is not true at all. May be that images are quite
> > important for web apps.
> >
> >
> > Tell me what you think and what would you change in my proposals.
> > Thanks.
> > -jst

-- 
/** 
* @author Jaroslav Tulach
* @see http://www.netbeans.org
*/