popular R packages

On Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:04:24 -0500, David Winsemius wrote?:

[ Snip ... ]

Nonetheless, I do think the relative numbers of package downloads might
be interpretable, or at the very least, the basis for discussions over
beer.

*Anything* might be the basis for discussions over beer (obvious 
corollary to Thermogoddamics' second principle....).

More seriously : I don't think relative numbers of package downloads can 
be interpreted in any reasonable way, because reasons for package 
download have a very wide range from curiosity ("what's this ?"), fun 
(think "fortunes"...), to vital need tthink lme4 if/when a consensus on 
denominator DFs can be reached :-)...). What can you infer in good faith 
from such a mess ?

					Emmanuel Charpentier