Ensure reviews continue to get submitted and ratings don't weight towards low end

*** From aaronp 1/3/2011:
Once someone has installed an app via USC, when do they get the opportunity to review it? In my own experience, once I've installed an app, I'm generally not viewing it again in USC unless I'm uninstalling, so I would never review it. So, even without prompting users to review apps upon removal, I think our reviews will naturually pull to the negative side just because users aren't necessarily going to take the time to review apps they have installed.

My proposed solution:
Upon opening USC we currently "have X recommendations for you". I think we should have something similar here like "You recently installed X applications and haven't reviewed them yet. Click here to help out others by giving your opinion"
Clicking could then take you to the history of installed apps where the user can invoke a review on any app they have installed (or removed I guess)
We would only bother them with this lobby screen prompt for apps that have been installed over a week or so ago (to give them time to try it before reviewing)

*** From nzmm 1/3/2011
You raise good points and i like the proposal.

I just wonder, if i am the user and i am being asked to review, say, a list of 10 apps i have removed and/or installed, how would we present the review dialog in a way which wouldn't be too burdensome to step through for each app? This could easily become a chore and put people off reviewing the apps.

Moreover, if i couldnt be bothered reviewing the apps, I would prob get annoyed after a while if i couldnt dismiss the lobby message. In this context people could perceive it as a nag.

Perhaps you would want to back the lobby message up with non-intrusive/subtle button in the applist which brings up the review dialog.

*** From aaronp 1/3/2011
I definitely think we would need to give the user the option to 'never ask me again' in regards to the lobby message. Once they are aware that they can review the apps via the history screen, it's really up to them as to whether they ever want to do it or not.

You make a good point about the time it takes to review, especially if there are quite a few apps. I guess it comes down to when the user wants to review them. I generally only open Software Centre when I want to specifically install or remove something (well...before I started helping to develop it!) which means I have a task in mind and the review would be a diversion, and 10 reviews in a row would be a significant diversion. Given I'm community minded, if I noticed the lobby screen reminder and had a minute to spare, and has been using a recently installed app recently, I'd probably review it, but that's just me.

However, I think if we could make it simpler/faster to submit a review, we should have done so already.

I think the user needs to cherry pick the installed apps they want to review and manage their own time in this regards, and the lobby screen message is just a way of gently reminding them that they can contribute by reviewing.

***From mpt 25/3/2011:
>> Upon opening USC we currently "have X recommendations for you". I
>> think we should have something similar here like "You recently
>> installed X applications and haven't reviewed them yet. Click here
>> to help out others by giving your opinion"
>> Clicking could then take you to the history of installed apps where
>> the user can invoke a review on any app they have installed (or
>> removed I guess)
>> We would only bother them with this lobby screen prompt for apps
>> that have been installed over a week or so ago (to give them time to
>> try it before reviewing)
Maybe it should ask you to review something that you've had installed
for at least a week, *and* that you've used recently.

> I just wonder, if i am the user and i am being asked to review, say, a
> list of 10 apps i have removed and/or installed, how would we present
> the review dialog in a way which wouldn't be too burdensome to step
> through for each app? This could easily become a chore and put people
> off reviewing the apps.
>...
That's easily solved: don't mention ten applications, just suggest
reviewing one particular application. Then the next time USC launches,
suggest a review of one other particular application.
"You ran Darwinia last Thursday. Would you like to _review it_?"

> Moreover, if i couldnt be bothered reviewing the apps, I would prob get
> annoyed after a while if i couldnt dismiss the lobby message. In this
> context people could perceive it as a nag.
Maybe. Or maybe the interface for turning review suggestions back on
would be even more of a distraction. It would depend where it is.

> Perhaps you would want to back the lobby message up with
> non-intrusive/subtle button in the applist which brings up the
> review dialog.
Absolutely.

I've now specified the review encouragement on the home screen. I'm marking this as Low, though, until/unless we have evidence that reviews are slowing to a trickle. <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwareCenter?action=diff&rev2=502&rev1=500>