Recommendations don't seem useful in their current form
Affects | Status | Importance | Assigned to | Milestone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
software-center (Ubuntu) |
Fix Released
|
Low
|
Unassigned |
Bug Description
Ubuntu Software Centre 3.1.24.3, Ubuntu Natty 20110327
Example A:
1. Log in to a new user account for the first time.
2. Open and close Ubuntu Software Center.
3. Take and save a screenshot.
4. Open Ubuntu Software Center again, and click the "recommendations" link.
What happens: Gwenview, gThumb, and Gimp appear as recommendations.
Example B:
1. Log in to a new user account for the first time.
2. Open and close Ubuntu Software Center.
3. download an MP3.
4. Open Ubuntu Software Center again, and click the "recommendations" link.
What happens: Audacity, Rhythmbox, and VLC appear as recommendations.
Unfortunately, these recommendations are not at all useful. I already have an image viewer installed for viewing the screenshot, and I have not done anything to suggest that I want two others, nor that I want a professional image editor. Similarly, Banshee and Totem are already installed, so suggesting Rhythmbox and VLC to me is unhelpful, especially when I haven't even run Banshee or Totem yet, and I haven't expressed any interest in multi-track editing at all.
I suggest that the recommendation link, and surrounding text, be hidden until we find a way to make the recommendations useful. This will likely involve opt-in recording of what people install, and then making recommendations of the form "People who installed X and Y also installed Z".
description: | updated |
Changed in software-center (Ubuntu): | |
status: | New → Confirmed |
Another example is when we open Nautilus a couple of times and return to SC, we find PCMAN and Dolphin in the recommendations. I haven't ever tried having 2 file-managers installed at the same time (so not really sure if it causes problems) but it seems unnecessary having those 2 as recommendations.
Maybe we could blacklist a few such core apps from being "Recommended" .