Sorry Firefox, Download Day Won't Set Any Records

Ben, I know you to be a thoughtful, respectful author, but I'm a little disappointed you chose to use the firefox download effort as a fulcrum/platform for extolling the download numbers of Flash player.

If there were a spot on the "spread firefox" website that criticized Adobe or otherwise issued some sort of direct challenge, then I'd see your response as being rational.

Failing that, I can't help but think you're looking for easy targets and making "apples and oranges" comparisons in an effort to create animosity where none exists.

@Keith,

I hardly see it as any sort of ad hominem attack, it's simple statement by a dedicated employee that 5 million, let alone 1.5 million, cannot reasonably be considered a Guiness World Record, by definition. Not quite an attack, really, more of a reality check from someone who has access to real log numbers that clearly lay out a flaw in the proposal.

Just think of all the new Flash Plug-in downloads that will have to be done with everyone downloading a new browser :)

I do think that comparing a full application download (7.4mb) to a plug-in (1.4mb) for all browsers is a bit of apples and oranges, but I get your point.

Lets face it all they really care about is creating a buzz and I'm certainly willing to jump on the bandwagon.

Keith Woods buddy! Holy cry baby!

Ben expressed absolutely NO negativity or "criticism" in his post, let the hell alone purveyed any semblance of an attitude of "animosity". Holy CRAP. HE USED THE WORDS "I love Firefox [and] use it almost exclusively".

And Ben's blog is the EXACT, PERFECT, WHOLLY APPROPRIATE FULCRUM/PLATFORM TO EXTOL THE DOWNLOAD OF THE FLASH PLAYER. Before I read your comment I literally thought to myself, "I'm so glad I read Ben's blog. I had no idea the Flash player was being updated that actively."

It's TOTALLY APPLICABLE, TOTALLY VALUABLE INFORMATION, TOTALLY RELEVANT TO THE POST, USER-BASE, AND PLANNED RECORD SETTING ATTEMPT. On top of which, almost NONE of what Ben said was opinion. It was basically a list of facts. Useful, interesting facts.

Quick. Favor. Grow. Up. Thanks.

I'd like to apologize for my post. I've carefully reconsidered, and understand my error. Thank you for taking the time to correct me.

In the interest of making amends, let's agree to work on this together:

1) How about putting adobe's download stats into the record books (if it isn't already)? We can't have anyone threatening our superiority. Who knows when someone on another open source project somewhere might post something we disagree with! Any volunteers?

2) Let's agree to spend part of each day (even if we're not paid Adobe Evangelists) surfing the web and looking for other--even unrelated--projects we can compare ourselves to. It doesn't matter, really, if we're competitors with those products, just as long as we can show we have better numbers.

3) A letter-writing campaign to Ted Patrick. He hinted (as I did, when i was in error) that the methodology behind these assertions was incorrect. He needs to be "corrected.: Perhaps something like: "Quick. Favor. Grow. Up. Thanks" -- that seems to work for me!

Thanks again!

Just to be clear, I did not attack or criticize Firefox or this effort. Actually, I am a big fan of grass roots viral type campaigns like this. Heck, I pledged to download FF3 on the site to do my part.

But, at the same time, I am definitely going to point out the fundamental flaw in the campaign. They have set their sites far too low. Although, maybe they should follow Russel's suggestion and measure total MB downloaded. That actually may be far better for them. Regardless, 1.6 million, and even 5 million, will not earn them a place in the record books.

Jim, you raise a good point. There are far more Flash downloads than there are connected computers to the Internet! Fun, huh? Part of it is lots of updates, and part of it is needing to reinstall when installing a new browser (like FF). The numbers are absolutely astounding.

As for why Flash does not have a Guinness World Record entry? Honestly, I don't know. It could be that no one ever submitted it. And actually, while I know that Flash is the single most downloaded piece of software of all time, I don't know for a fact that it's the most downloaded in a single day.

--- Ben

Michael is right. From the FAQ page for this download day project:
"This is the first record attempt of its kind so there is no set number. We'd really like to outdo the number of Firefox 2 downloads on its launch day, which was 1.6 million. Let's shoot for 5 million--the sky is the limit!"

So to get the record, they just have to submit a number. And then Adobe could break the record the next day, if they submit their number for Flash downloads.

Keith:
Wow, I'm really impressed. It takes a lot of courage to just come right out like that and admit that you were wrong / being really really really really really really silly.

I'm glad I could help. I just hope that if I'm ever saying ridiculous, paranoid, my-parents-were-cousins things on the Internet that someone will have the nuts to point it out and correct me.

You're welcome.

How many of them people actually went and manually downloaded Flash?

How many of them people had it automatically downloaded for them by their browser?

How many people will get an update to FF3 via the automatic update of FF2?

is over 7 million now

I downloaded it on day one and was hoping to be part of the record breaking attempt.