[wp-meta] [Making WordPress.org] #6511: Bring back the active install growth chart

[Making WordPress.org]

#6511: Bring back the active install growth chart
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 Reporter:  markzahra         |       Owner:  (none)
     Type:  enhancement       |      Status:  new
 Priority:  high              |   Milestone:
Component:  Plugin Directory  |  Resolution:
 Keywords:                    |
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Comment (by johnjamesjacoby):

 See also [https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/3016#comment:12 this
 comment] from @mnelson4 on 3018:

 > I assume this was a closed-door security or privacy decision taken by a
 larger group than just the committer.

 This assumption is correct. 💯

 > They should be brought back and improved rather than taken away

 I do not have any doubts that this is the longterm goal. 🛣️

 ----

 Out of my own curiosity, I invested 2 hours on Friday reviewing how these
 charts worked before they were removed.

 * I've independently identified precisely why these charts were removed
 the way that they were
 * I would not have made any different decisions had I been in on the
 decision making process

 For a bit of boring backstory, around 2008 the BuddyPress project was
 interested in obtaining these same stats. In fact, I'll just call this
 feature "Stats" since that's easy to grok. Back then, WordPress.org and
 bbPress.org had rudimentary but still functioning Stats APIs for counting
 downloads per release and independent installs, so BuddyPress just copied
 what already existed – but we knew that approach would never scale for all
 plugins. 📈

 And that was the experiment/plan for BuddyPress.org – that "Groups" would
 be "Plugins" with their own forums, members, etc... It was actually live
 for a while, and I consider it a really cool little side-quest on
 WordPress.org that never panned out. 🧙‍♂️

 Our original primary concern was: revealing active install charts & graphs
 for all plugins & themes may not actually be healthy for the entire
 community, because it is impossible to resist using that single number to
 speculate about things those numbers may or may not imply – quality,
 security, performance, earnings, success, etc... and when that scales to
 inevitably comparing data across multiple plugins & themes, is any of that
 actually healthy, positive, or a real goal? 🏥

 We decided, back then, together, that it wasn't – not because it was not
 useful, but because it likely would be harmful.

 Later on, when the next generation of fine folks brought it up and worked
 on it again, it was with the above knowledge imparted on to them, and I
 have a fuzzy memory of Matt announcing the feature at a State of the Word
 with an asterisk of minor trepidation – but I may be misremembering 😅

 All of this is my own independent way of saying/confirming/comforting,
 that the importance of this feature is very well understood by the team of
 people who build & maintain WordPress.org, and I trust that work is
 happening to determine its fate & future even if I cannot see it myself 💞

 Hopefully this helps more than it hurts 🫶 and everyone please /slap me
 with a trout if I've spoken out of turn 🍣

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Ticket URL: <https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/6511#comment:3>
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