To test the distribution of software packages in the Internet, I decided to add a small routine to the code of the server. The server will send UDP packets to my computer at the University of Hamburg. So I can see how many people do really use this program.
The interval of packets sent to me is long enough (several hours) not to disturb your local network or flood my computer with packets from all over the world.
If I see my program being run by many users (and not just being stored in dozens of ftp-servers), I will be definitely encouraged to improve it's performance.
As connectionless UDP packets are used (which might be lost on their way to Germany), there will be no problem, if your computer is behind a firewall, if your server is running on a PC not connected to the internet or if the PC at my office is switched off.
The messages sent to me just contain the version of the current server running, e.g. "Web4Ham/0.13". This feature might as well be useful if a version has a security bug. I can easily spot those sites running an old version of the software and inform the postmaster.
If you don't like this feature, you are free not use the program, or you might write me an Email message and I will tell you how to turn off this feature.
I recommend, that the idea of sending hello messages to another host should not be copied by too many other software developers. Otherwise there really might be the situation, that the Internet is flooded by UDP packets.