As with the U.S. economy, it seems like the web traffic of several well-known Linux related news sites are slowing down. According to statistics from Alexa, famous sites like Slashdot, Linux.com, and Linux Journal among others have a sudden decrease in site visitors. For the last few months, the decline is unbelievable. See the graphs below to know what I mean:Slashdot:
Linux.com:
Linux Journal:
Should we trust Alexa's traffic stats?
Alexa is known to be really inaccurate. Take for example my site. There are days when I'm having insane number of site visitors, but when I check Alexa's stats, I'm seeing the opposite; traffic stats are down during those days.
To Apple fanboys who think that this is happening because Linux is out and Mac is in, check-out the stats of your favorite Apple news sites below:
Alexa is known to be really inaccurate. Take for example my site. There are days when I'm having insane number of site visitors, but when I check Alexa's stats, I'm seeing the opposite; traffic stats are down during those days.
To Apple fanboys who think that this is happening because Linux is out and Mac is in, check-out the stats of your favorite Apple news sites below:
Macrumors:
AppleInsider:
I've heard Alexa updated their algorithm several months ago, so this could be the real reason why the stats are messed up.
Do you still trust Alexa’s traffic rating system? Feel free to share with us your thoughts.
Do you still trust Alexa’s traffic rating system? Feel free to share with us your thoughts.
I think it is for real. Because we are experiencing what we could say a Linux and Open Source fatigue. Go to digg and you see Ubuntu/Linux/FOSS on the front page detailing every single boring detail of a release. I've been checking my linux blogroll and so far most bloggers are experiencing that fatigue too. The truth is, what is left to write about Linux? "New Kernel Gives Wifi Access to Ubuntu" Whoopdeedoo. Fsckin A. "Ubuntu has a new theme" Great. "Fedora has a new version" Go figure. Sure economics might have somethin to do with it too but you know - in the end you can't expect operating system fanaticism to reach mainstream level of sustenance. Even britney spears gets "laos" or damn boring. Come to think of it, I havent seen any Paris Hilton article or pics for the last month. Wow.
ReplyDeleteIt's not accurate. I look at the linuxjournal.com stats pretty closely, and Alexa does not reflect our trend at all.
ReplyDeleteKatherine
Webmistress, LinuxJournal.com
@Dannybuntu: Thanks for sharing with us your honest opinion. I would have to disagree with you that Linux will go "laos" or just fade. Linux is not Paris Hilton ;-) Sure there are low moments, but passionate community that surrounds FOSS will keep the fire burning.
ReplyDelete@Katherine: Thanks for the info...
ReplyDeleteBest regards,
jun
Alexa is known to be very inaccurate and has recently been getting worse and worse.
ReplyDeleteJust google about it... you'll see.
@Jun - please erase if I made a double post. The first time I clicked hindi lumabas yung notification na comment submitted: Anyway here is my repost: thanks and cheers!
ReplyDeleteJun, noted. I love linux too and as you see in my way of writing I express myself in the most transparent way I could.
Now, my question is this: Are you in fact saying that "hype" on a thing can last indefinitely or in your words be kept burning?
My premise is this: Linux/Software is an intangible thing.
In the spirit of objectivity: I would also posit the notion that software, being an indispensable factor in contemporary human existence would always be a subject matter of interest to all humans who use it.
In this way, one can never say that it is forgotten totally but we relegate interest to it in the same way as we pose interest for other "indispensible factors in contemporary human existence".
Linux/FOSS is software.
Software are tools.
A tool enters the realm of human thought only when it is broken OR when it has a new feature.
Do you think of a hammer you are holding while you are hammering a nail? Just as long as the said hammer is hammering the nail properly - you would not think of it-because it becomes an extension of the SELF. The hammer as a tool became an extension of Jun Auza's hands. If it gets lost - you would think of it. If while hammering the head of a nail, the hammer disengaged from the handle and flew off you would think of it. But the question is: If you were not using the hammer would you think or speak of it with your friends? Only, if you say "this hammer has this new feature" or "Shet, this hammer is made in China-natanggal yung ulo-tapos lumipad..."
Now in software, there are normally additional features or corrections in its evolution. However as the element of time goes by - software evolves to more specialized fields. GNU/Linux as an operating system provides a stable platform for those special needs. The mainstream however would congregate on the basic components that each find a use for. I for one am interested in VLC and use it everyday. But when it reaches the point that any new feature is unsubstantial in my general use for it - I naturally lose interest. I use it as a media player. If in version 1 thousand it says that it added a minor feature- chances are I wouldn't care. The only question I would ask is "Will it play my DVD?" If yes. Then I say OK.
So to conclude, I agree with you that interest in Linux will not go 0. It will be a subject interest just as long as people are using it and finding new features and/or bugs. However, when it comes to hype, general mainstream interest will go down.
A passionate community will tender your flames so to speak but to the outsiders who do not use it - it is just another thing in their lives mentioned by a group of people along with a trillion other things mentioned by other people.
Not unless you want total world domination where everything is controlled by Linux.
>>>Sorry this took long. I needed to organize my thoughts in this thing (The place of Linux in my life) I could somehow organize. As I am having serious problems regarding a software investment I made. There are a lot of people in the real world who do real harm to other people. I guess I will use Linux to write about the truth. Hehe.
"And all these things shall come to pass"
Additional info: Got this from Yuga
ReplyDeletehttp://www.yugatech.com/blog/problogging/is-problogging-in-recession/
good news is it's not only linux.
"Now, my question is this: Are you in fact saying that "hype" on a thing can last indefinitely or in your words be kept burning?"
ReplyDelete@Dannybuntu:
--FOSS is not a "hype". Since I'm a believer, I think Linux and other great free and open source software will in the future be much bigger than the dominant proprietary software of today. We have already seen several thriving open-source projects that we thought would never have succeeded before.
You may ask when will it happen?... or how? My answer would be, I don't know and I don’t care. I'm just a believer.
Ok Jun noted. On a parting note, please bear in mind the possibility that in the future - the kind of operating system that you are using would be irrellevant.
ReplyDeleteFOSS is a hype for those who want to be said has become part of it or have tried but can't establish a personal relation with it. But for a believer, no matter what happens, he'll use it. Cause he knows what he's gotten into and he likes it.
ReplyDeleteLet me point out, this post is only about an statistics provider, not the length of a software's existence. It just so happened that the software concerned is linux. Actually, these are websites about linux, not Linux the Operating System or how many uses it around the world. It doesn't matter if we're not visiting these sites when we're actually entertaining the idea of using it every single day. I myself don't visit these religiously but hey, I still wait for updates via mailing list.
And oh, it doesn't have to become a hype just to be called 'the-in-thing' and be famous cause it already is, in my opinion.
Soooo, I bet you can guess what my comment about Alexa is, which above anything else is the subject.
Everyone, chill =D
*penguins rock!!*
--Didn't see the comment submitted thing again...
ReplyDelete"FOSS is a hype for those who want to be said has become part of it or have tried but can't establish a personal relation with it. But for a believer, no matter what happens, he'll use it. Cause he knows what he's gotten into and he likes it."
Exactly.
I am chillin like a penguin. I hope I didn't make it look like I was angry - I get that a lot of times. This is how I write - I will try to be more er, sweet? =D
I hope I made myself understood that when I say "fade" I meant it will become like a "hammer". In the future, the emphasis would be on the value that software produces - be it proprietary or foss. The desktop operating system as a platform (be it windows, linux, freebsd or osx) will serve as that - a platform - who knows - MAYBE in the future most apps would be web apps like gmail.
Google focuses on web apps, firefox and even its own browser because they are 10 to 20 years in advance in their thinking. They know that the business model that Micro$oft is clinging to is going to be so ubiquitous that it will be irrelevant. RMS does not believe that by the way. He believes that entrusting our information on web services is dumb. So if you believe that the battlefield is still on the desktop then you are most likely Stallmanian.
Now, going back to web stats - not all statistical measures are adequate representations of reality. But they do point to facts enclosed in its own set of conditions and parameters.
Differences in algorithm is one of those parameters.
Difference in the breadth of the information gathered is one of those parameters.
The method of information aggregation and processing is another parameter.
I will let the statistics speak for themselves here so that I will not be misunderstood again:
1. Google Trends - Linux
http://www.google.com/trends?q=linux+
2. Google Trends - Open Source
http://www.google.com/trends?q=open+source&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all&sort=0
3. Google Trends - Distrowatch
http://www.google.com/trends?q=distrowatch&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all&sort=0
Here are some alternative information from compete.com
1. linux.com vs slashdot.org vs linuxjournal.com
http://siteanalytics.compete.com/slashdot.org+linux.com+linuxjournal.com/?metric=rank
These statistical fluctuations are normal. When you are up you are up. When you are down you are down.
As you can see these methods of inquiry into the realm of interest point to different conclusions. Some say up some say down.
The large spikes upward are brought about by a new feature or a scandalous matter or what not.
Honestly, I admit that I do not know anything about SEO and traffic rankings. I am merely speaking from the point of view of an ordinary person and my perception about "FOSS software in the realm of general human interest"
=)
Cheers! I hope I don't get bashed by the SEO experts here.
BTW, I agree that FOSS is not a hype its a general term used for TOOLS.
@aby: Very well said. Thanks for the support :-)
ReplyDeleteCheers!