[wp-meta] [Making WordPress.org] #1692: Plugin search quality improvements

[Making WordPress.org]

#1692: Plugin search quality improvements
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 Reporter:  tellyworth                           |       Owner:  tellyworth
     Type:  enhancement                          |      Status:  assigned
 Priority:  normal                               |   Milestone:  Plugin
Component:  Plugin Directory                     |  Directory v3.0
 Keywords:  dev-feedback needs-docs 2nd-opinion  |  Resolution:
  needs-testing                                  |
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Comment (by joyously):

 Replying to [comment:95 gibrown]:
 > The fundamental way I approach search is that when a user takes any time
 to put something into a search box, we should be trying to infer and
 answer their question as best we can. We're providing answers, and the
 first answer we give matters a lot.
 > ...
 > So from my perspective the current search is not at all answering the
 question of "what plugin would serve me best for tracking stats on my
 website?".

 I think the big assumption that we make is the turning of a one word query
 into a complete sentence. The search is assuming the sentence that you
 wrote when that is not necessarily the sentence that the user intended.
 Google worked for years to get their algorithm perfected. I doubt this
 search will equal that.

 I would rather err on the side of more text matches than on the side of
 any other weighting factors, because all the user has is text to enter.
 That is, if you don't give them the interactive controls to weight the
 factors his way. Would it be so hard to show those controls, set to the
 defaults?  Then at least the user could go after what they really want, if
 they choose to.  If not, why doesn't the Browse page work to scroll
 through everything?

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Ticket URL: <https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/1692#comment:103>
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