[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 elrae):

 Replying to [comment:60 georgestephanis]:
 > To sum up a lot of the prior discussion for new folks coming in --
 >
 > This chart was removed **due to a Security or Privacy concern**. 👇🏼
 >
 > Replying to [comment:3 johnjamesjacoby]:
 > > > I assume this was a closed-door security or privacy decision taken
 by a larger group than just the committer.
 > >
 > > This assumption is correct. 💯
 >
 > Due to the fact that the specific details of the relevant concern not
 having been disclosed yet, it is likely that it cannot be yet shared
 without putting users at risk (I was not involved, I'm just speculating on
 that due to my own experience with deploying security-based changes in the
 past).
 >
 > Replying to [comment:40 markzahra]:
 > > @matt, the chart in its current state, no matter how it came about,
 was helpful, so please bring it back while we work as a community to
 create a better solution for the future.
 >
 > This chart was removed **due to a Security or Privacy concern**. As
 such, it cannot be re-introduced in its current state without
 reintroducing the same Security or Privacy concern once more.
 >
 > Matt has agreed that the data from this has been useful for plugin
 authors, and stated that adding more data for plugin authors will take
 some work, but is doable. 👇🏼
 >
 > Replying to [comment:35 matt]:
 > > I definitely think we can show some more stats to plugin authors about
 their own plugins, and I'm hearing that for newer plugins every new
 install can be a motivator. Feedback loops are important. It will take
 some work but it's doable.
 >
 > What may be most useful, rather than saying "we want the chart back"
 would be to have a productive discussion about what metrics and data would
 be most important to have, and then find ways to expose that data, if it
 is safe and sufficiently anonymized so as not to mess with user privacy.


 It was never explicitly stated it was removed for a security or privacy
 concern. It was removed due to "due to insufficient data obfuscation"
 which to me does not mean security or privacy. Privacy is PII which this
 chart did not include. The obfuscation is because "we" (whoever we is) did
 not want people to be able to see "exact" stats. Framing a summation of
 this as a privacy or security update isn't accurate. What may be most
 useful is if Matt stops flying by with 1-2 sentence non-answers and
 finally addresses in detail and plain language WHY this was removed. Short
 of that it should be reinstated ASAP and work on better charts in the
 future.

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Ticket URL: <https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/6511#comment:61>
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