While any interest in Android is good, this is a developer forum only. Use this forum if:
"You're now an experienced Android application developer. You've grasped the basics of Android app development, you're comfortable using the SDK, now you want to move to advanced topics. Get help here with troubleshooting applications, advice on implementation, and strategies for improving your application's performance and user experience.” --Google Groups Description “This is the not the right place to discuss user issues (use android-discuss for that) or beginner questions with the Android SDK (use android-beginners for that)." --Google Groups Description If you were to post topics such as this to the android-discuss group, your relevant and useful dialog there would encourage others to participate in that forum. Separating the discussions by topic into two different forums improves the dialog in both forums, does it not? Please consider posting to the proper forum. For complete information see: http://developer.android.com/community AE wrote: > Hi, > > It is my understanding that the "popularity index" uses several > parameters to such as rating, comments (not directly but indirectly), > number of downloads, active install, total install, installs from > regular users, install from dev phones, age of the app, number of > phone sales in a region, etc,etc -- there is probably 500 elements > that are in the works! And rightfully so Google doesn't want folks to > game the system. > > Now what I like to stress here is the following -- the 3 key element > that is presented to users prior to download is number of downloads, > rating, comments. No matter how much we argue at the end of day -- the > users makes his/her decision "somewhat" based on the above 3 > parameters. Interestingly all of the above parameters can be > manipulated by doing the following. > > a. Download the app - rank and comment > b. Reset your phone - Create new user > c. Repeat A > > And if you get say 5 college kid doing the above.. bingo you can > always make sure that visible 3 comments are clean and positive -- > you can also use those comments as a megaphone to tell the users -- > what more can your app do -- beside the 325 char description , you > keep your rating stable at 4.7/4.6 (so you don't look to greedy) and > your number of downloads are increasing. Not only that while you are > at it you might as well go ahead and make lower rating and ugly > comments to competitors app -- and you make sure you uninstall > competitors app, where as you don't uninstall your app -- you just hit > for the "hard reset" -- because you send the signal -- that the phone > might be off -- rinse and repeat!!! Yes very true this will not > increase your popularity but slowly and surely by doing so you can > only go up cos if all of the ranking elements produce "X" and the > above 3 elements say produce "Y" -- no matter how insignificant these > 3 parameter is -- you are on the positive -- never the less you have a > propaganda megaphone to the users who download your apps. In every > damn category all the top 20 - 30 apps stays the same, I have not seen > them moving out of that space !! > > I am complete disgusted by the above, I worked hard to develop my app, > I used the SDK so I can take advantage of all the phone features and I > am honest and what it gets me -- nada! So why should I develop app -- > what incentive does it provide me if I don't have the money power to > buy my friends 5-10 G1 to game the system!! > > I have couple of ideas to the above problem - and I am sure there are > many here who has even better idea then i list below -- > > 1. Rating from the "new" users i.e. created on the fly users -- should > be separated from the users who are verified i.e. been using google > for a while and have a history, so I propose 2 ratings rather then one > - why - it should be transparent to the end consumer (No propaganda > megaphone) -- how you use to evaluate popularity -- not my business > and its googles secret. > > 2. Comments should have added "star" or colors to identify also the > user has no history with google i.e. Amazon's "REAL NAME". Again > transparent to end consumer > > Yes, I do want to have "real users comments" and their "ratings" and > show the world "total downloads" -- it just helps me improve my app. > But we need a fair playing field that's my request. I am sure many of > you know the above -- at least its a open secret! Now everyone can > play the game!! > > I look forward to constructive replies/solutions and hear your views. > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
