Top Author Ranking (and Top Downloads too)
Tuesday, May 6, 2003 by T-Man | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
Ok, as many of you have already noticed you have seen some changes in the Top Author's calculations. Let me try to explain a little bit as to what we are doing.
Let me start out with giving you an overview on the way the previous system worked. The Top Author's list was based on the total number of downloads for all the author's skins from the previous day. The total number was then divided by ten (mainly just to display a smaller number to make it fit in the box better). So if an author had 5310 downloads, we would divide 5310 by 10 to get 531. And that is the number that was displayed in the Top Author’s box.
Now I’ll explain some more of the technical aspects on how the download counts were calculated. When a person downloaded a skin we would take information from that skin and place it into a cookie. So if you were to download that skin a second time the code would check the cookie to see if you had already downloaded that skin. If you had already downloaded the skin then the download number would not increment. However, if the skin information was not found in the cookie then it was considered that you had not downloaded the skin and therefore it would increment the download count for that particular skin.
This system had some flaws in it. If a person were to delete their cookie then it would erase the information on the skins that they had previously downloaded. Or if a person has configured their browser to not allow cookies then the skin information was never saved. Therefore this allowed for people to download skins multiple times, which would unnecessarily increase the download counts for the skins.
So, as you can see, there was a vulnerability in our system and with all vulnerabilities they get abused after awhile. We have received numerous complaints from people where some skins were suspected of having abnormal download counts. After looking into this more we were able to detect that this vulnerability was being abused. And in some cases we believe bots were being used to increase download counts.
We've known about this problem for quite some time now and really haven't had the time to address this problem until now. So how do we fix this problem? How do we close the holes and prevent people from abusing the system. That's what we are trying to do right now. We are experimenting with some different ways to calculate the Top Authors in order to plug these holes in order to make the system as fair as possible. So please be patient with us while we take this time to come up with a better system.
Let me start out with giving you an overview on the way the previous system worked. The Top Author's list was based on the total number of downloads for all the author's skins from the previous day. The total number was then divided by ten (mainly just to display a smaller number to make it fit in the box better). So if an author had 5310 downloads, we would divide 5310 by 10 to get 531. And that is the number that was displayed in the Top Author’s box.
Now I’ll explain some more of the technical aspects on how the download counts were calculated. When a person downloaded a skin we would take information from that skin and place it into a cookie. So if you were to download that skin a second time the code would check the cookie to see if you had already downloaded that skin. If you had already downloaded the skin then the download number would not increment. However, if the skin information was not found in the cookie then it was considered that you had not downloaded the skin and therefore it would increment the download count for that particular skin.
This system had some flaws in it. If a person were to delete their cookie then it would erase the information on the skins that they had previously downloaded. Or if a person has configured their browser to not allow cookies then the skin information was never saved. Therefore this allowed for people to download skins multiple times, which would unnecessarily increase the download counts for the skins.
So, as you can see, there was a vulnerability in our system and with all vulnerabilities they get abused after awhile. We have received numerous complaints from people where some skins were suspected of having abnormal download counts. After looking into this more we were able to detect that this vulnerability was being abused. And in some cases we believe bots were being used to increase download counts.
We've known about this problem for quite some time now and really haven't had the time to address this problem until now. So how do we fix this problem? How do we close the holes and prevent people from abusing the system. That's what we are trying to do right now. We are experimenting with some different ways to calculate the Top Authors in order to plug these holes in order to make the system as fair as possible. So please be patient with us while we take this time to come up with a better system.
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Fuzzy Logic
Reply #2 Tuesday, May 6, 2003 8:13 AM
Reply #2 Tuesday, May 6, 2003 8:13 AM
Go T-Man! I look forward to seeing a fairer system 
eieio
Reply #3 Tuesday, May 6, 2003 9:49 AM
Reply #3 Tuesday, May 6, 2003 9:49 AM
People were actually using automated systems to download files? I'm presuming to increase their download count to get them listed.
How very strange.
Thanks for the heads up on working in the new system T-Man. I look forward to the system.
How very strange.
Thanks for the heads up on working in the new system T-Man. I look forward to the system.
T-Man
Reply #4 Tuesday, May 6, 2003 10:23 AM
Reply #4 Tuesday, May 6, 2003 10:23 AM
I also believe that several tawain sites use automated systems to download skins to show on their sites. But I have not confirmed this as I have not looked into far enough yet.
Lady_Akasha
Reply #7 Tuesday, May 6, 2003 11:18 AM
Reply #7 Tuesday, May 6, 2003 11:18 AM
That is sad... it really is. Well, I think it's fabulous that you guys are working for a fairer system that is for the greater good of everyone. And THANKS 
joetheblow
Reply #8 Tuesday, May 6, 2003 1:35 PM
Reply #8 Tuesday, May 6, 2003 1:35 PM
Bots???!!!!!
You got to be kidding me. Just to get more downloads? Give me a break.
Why?
You got to be kidding me. Just to get more downloads? Give me a break.
Why?
queezendorf
Reply #9 Tuesday, May 6, 2003 1:43 PM
Reply #9 Tuesday, May 6, 2003 1:43 PM
...heh im not surprised people go to that extreme, and the sad part is.. they don't make anything from putting stuff on this site...... except for feedback... -shrug-
CerebroJD
Reply #11 Tuesday, May 6, 2003 2:01 PM
Reply #11 Tuesday, May 6, 2003 2:01 PM
Programs that automaticly download things. Continuously or on a pattern or something. Good way to increase you download rating! 
What next
Frogboy
Reply #13 Tuesday, May 6, 2003 4:13 PM
Reply #13 Tuesday, May 6, 2003 4:13 PM
Not all of the issues were sinister in nature.
It's a lot more subtle in many cases.
For instance, one thing that happens regularly is that skins would get linked to from other sites.
Imagine, for example, if Slashdot had a "Top 10 Slashdot favorite skins" page that linked to WinCustomize skins directly and that slashdot users downloaded those skins without ever really being aware of the other skins here.
What would effectively happen is that over time, older skins would inevitably get linked to whether by search engines, message boards on other sites, whatever and that would bias the top skins/author lists in favor of skins that had simply gotten around or were, for whatever reason, linked to from other sites.
The net result is that it provided an inaccurate picture.
We do keep track of raw downloads and in fact if you sort by downloads per day or go into the top author lists on a per category basis, it goes by the raw numbers.
But for the lists that are here on the main page, we wanted to have something that was fair to everyone. A list of the skins and skin authors who people who are actually on WinCustomize, going through all the skins on the site are downloading.
It's a lot more subtle in many cases.
For instance, one thing that happens regularly is that skins would get linked to from other sites.
Imagine, for example, if Slashdot had a "Top 10 Slashdot favorite skins" page that linked to WinCustomize skins directly and that slashdot users downloaded those skins without ever really being aware of the other skins here.
What would effectively happen is that over time, older skins would inevitably get linked to whether by search engines, message boards on other sites, whatever and that would bias the top skins/author lists in favor of skins that had simply gotten around or were, for whatever reason, linked to from other sites.
The net result is that it provided an inaccurate picture.
We do keep track of raw downloads and in fact if you sort by downloads per day or go into the top author lists on a per category basis, it goes by the raw numbers.
But for the lists that are here on the main page, we wanted to have something that was fair to everyone. A list of the skins and skin authors who people who are actually on WinCustomize, going through all the skins on the site are downloading.
MrGupps
Reply #14 Wednesday, May 7, 2003 6:00 PM
Reply #14 Wednesday, May 7, 2003 6:00 PM
lemme get this straight
someone can download their own artwork to increase the count?
someone can download their own artwork to increase the count?
BluesStringer
Reply #16 Friday, May 9, 2003 7:42 PM
Reply #16 Friday, May 9, 2003 7:42 PM
I'm fairly new here, but I'm curious, why would anyone care if they had the highest d/l count? Are there prizes or money involved, or are the manipulators of the system so ego-driven that they can't resist running their numbers up? Either way, it's very surprising to me as I've seen nothing but pretty cool heads around here. Not to mention some outstanding artists, every one of which if I had a question they've been very responsive and helpful to this OD newbie. Hope you get it worked out T-Man. It's a shame you have to jump through those hoops though.
queezendorf
Reply #17 Saturday, May 10, 2003 5:36 AM
Reply #17 Saturday, May 10, 2003 5:36 AM
like i said, you get nothing out of it except that number and maybe a few comments.... so theres no real materialistic pay-back... and if there was, at some point if i could have had a quarter for every download... I would of had me a new car =P
[Message Edited]
[Message Edited]
Styl-X Design
Reply #18 Sunday, May 11, 2003 2:51 PM
Reply #18 Sunday, May 11, 2003 2:51 PM
Nope, no money, skinners just have a biiiiig ego.
jcg
Reply #19 Monday, May 12, 2003 10:21 AM
Reply #19 Monday, May 12, 2003 10:21 AM
#18 by Skinner Styl skinner - 5/11/2003 2:51:12 PM Nope, no money, skinners just have a biiiiig ego.
Hey I resent that remark. I'm one of the humblest people I know. Nobody is humbler than me.
Hey I resent that remark. I'm one of the humblest people I know. Nobody is humbler than me.
werewolf
Reply #20 Monday, May 12, 2003 2:11 PM
Reply #20 Monday, May 12, 2003 2:11 PM
...one of the most humble...
...is more humble than I...
...is more humble than I...
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Reply #1 Tuesday, May 6, 2003 8:10 AM
but who am i to argue?