RE: [Axiom-developer] opinion

[Page, Bill]

> Bill Page wrote: 
>
>> look for the number of downloads of axiom-windows-0.1.4 at
>> line 19. Now look for downloads of the Linux versions :(
>> unfortunately none are listed in this "top 30" list ):
> 
> On Wed, May 25, 2005 at 07:31:20PM +0200, Francois Maltey wrote:
>
>> I don't dowload axiom, I choose axiom because I can install it
>> from my favorite debian testing. 
>

On Thursday, May 26, 2005 1:10 PM Frederic Lehobey wrote:
>
> And according to this link:
>
>   http://popcon.debian.org/main/by_inst
> 
> you are not alone as at the time of reading there were at least 66
> people who declared to Debian (through popularity-contest package)
> having installed it (it is _not_ the number of download of the Debian
> packages).

This graph shows that the number of Debian users who reported
installing Axiom via popularity-contest has increased by about
150% (from 40 to 60) over the last year

http://people.debian.org/~igloo/popcon-graphs/index.php?packages=axiom&show_
installed=on&show_vote=on&beenhere=1

About 10 people report using Axiom "regularly" and this hasn't
changed much over the year.

The total number of Maxima users reporting is about 5 times the
number number of Axiom users and also seems to have increased
by about the same percentage in the same time period

http://people.debian.org/~igloo/popcon-graphs/index.php?packages=maxima&show
_installed=on&show_vote=on&beenhere=1

with about 50 people who report using Maxima "regularly" and this
also hasn't changed.

For a baseline one can compare this to the overall increase in
the number of debian users reporting by this system

http://people.debian.org/~igloo/popcon-graphs/index.php?packages=base-files&;
show_installed=on&show_vote=on&beenhere=1

which is approaching 7,000. So according to this about 1% of Debian
users have installed Axiom and about 5% have installed Maxima with
the number of "regular users" very much less than 1%.

>  Never forget there are lies, damn lies and statistics.

Yes, that is something that I used to do as a profession. :)

> Do not misinterpret this: I do not mind the Windows porting efforts
> and even appreciate them, but if the Windows figures are more relevant
> as the axiom-developers site is almost the only source for axiom
> download, nothing such may be said for the GNU/Linux (or Bsd) versions
> that have alternative distribution schemes.  Only compare things that
> are comparable.

I agree. However if we do attempt to compare the debian Axiom
popcon numbers with the Axiom for Windows downloads from the
axiom-developer.org site, then the number Linux users is still so
small as to be "off the map".

> The only figure that matters is the number of involved developpers:
> if many people have the goal and skills to improve the Windows port,
> then the power is to them, that is the way free software works.

I agree but I think that this is an interesting question: Does
the increase in the number of Axiom for Windows users translate
into an increase in the number of involved Axiom *developers*?

So far postings to the axiom-developer web site and to this email
list suggest that the answer to this quesiton is "no", at least
not within the time period that the Windows version has been
available (since December 2004). :(

Regards,
Bill Page.