Discussion Addon developers, I want your opinions.

[asbjos]

Hello there.

I recently updated one of my add-ons on Orbit Hangar, and wondered about the "Date added" box. There you can select the upload date of the add-on. When you upload an add-on, the default date is the date you originally uploaded the add-on, but I have seen that many developers edit this date to the date of the update.

I have some problems with that, as you "promote" an add-on (which may not have any big update, only a small correction or a little new feature) so that it gets show in the "Newest uploads" tab. I think this is unfair to promote something which isn't new. On my recent update, I posted about it in the Orbiter-Forum thread of my add-on.

Of course, there are some arguments for and against selecting a new upload date:

For:

• Only a fraction of the Orbinauts are active on Orbiter-Forum, most users will not notice the update as it has drowned in the all the other add-ons out there. Therefore, updating the upload date will help users notice the update.

Against:

• Your add-on is not new, and you take the place from the new add-ons out there. The update is not strictly necessary to download for most users anyway.

What do you do when you update an add-on? What are your opinions?

 

[paddy2]

For my 2 pennies worth I think the better way is to amend the addon date. Some amendments are quite small but the most give new / better / needed benefit. This would mean you are doing the rest of us a favour by bringing it to our attention.

Mark one came out in 2010, mk2 in 2012 I would like to see the latest mk3 in 2014 at the top of list. ( even if its 2010hrs, 2012hrs and 2014hrs).

While you may of had an idea 6 months ago and let us have a copy of what you had done so far, which I downloaded and liked, I dont think you are stealing anyones thunder by letting us know there a newer better one out there.

 

[boogabooga]

I'm not a developer, but I prefer when updates show up on Newest uploads as it is easier for the user to keep up with the latest version.

 

[Loru]

I usually update date for my updates (lots of dating here ). I think when update for an add-on comes out I'd like to see it on recent uploads. Some add-ons have frequent updates sometimes with crucial improvements bumping it up helps users to be up to date. I don't think add-on devs are abusing the system and I don't mind little bit of marketing here.

 

[tomthenose]

this isn't the biggest modding community (unless we have MILLIONS of silent members ) so you normally only get a couple of new addons every few days. Because of this i don't think pushing updated mods to the top of the list is really displacing anyone.

 

[SolarLiner]

What I do is I update the date when the update is big enough to get attention. I mean by that if the update is only small bug corrections but nothing really new, the date stays there. But, if the addon is updated with new features, I will update the date of the addon, as it will make the users notice that something has changed.