From: BPHEINTZ@UCSVAX.UCS.UMASS.EDU (Ban the Vote!) Subject: Re: Estimate of # of Linux users? Date: 3 May 1993 23:40:03 GMT
In <C6GzH6.JDp@ra.nrl.navy.mil> eric@tantalus.nrl.navy.mil writes:
> In article <1993May3.153839.26198@nntpd.lkg.dec.com> barrett@pamsrc.enet.dec.com writes:
> >So the actual number of users is definately much higher than the ftp
> >access figures.
> >
> >Perhaps it would be much more accurate to take a poll?
>
> Perhaps now is the time to take two of the threads that have been
> running here and tie them together. Once there is a Linux Journal, it will be
> possible to get a good idea of Linux usage (or at least the level of interest)
> by looking at the subscription figures.
>
> -Eric
I think it's been brought up already that such a magazine would appeal
mainly to hackers and serious users, as opposed to the (possibly far more
numerous) "casual" users.
It also occurs to me that since Linux is *meant* to be distributed in an
uncontrolled fashion, this lack of control (and subsequently, knowledge)
means that there will never be an accurate count. Every method I've heard
for getting a count so far is like the old problem of finding the length
of the emperor's nose - you can't get a real answer by polling the peasants
in one village and taking the average.
Just some thoughts.
- Brad