[Bioc-devel] Use and Usability metrics / shields

[Martin Morgan]

Bioc developers!

It's important that our users be able to identify packages that are suitable for 
their research question. Obviously a first step is to identify packages in the 
appropriate research domain, for instance through biocViews.

   http://bioconductor.org/packages/release/

We'd like to help users further prioritize their efforts by summarizing use and 
usability. Metrics include:

- Cross-platform availability -- biocLite()-able from all or only some platforms
- Support forum activity -- questions and comments / responses, 6 month window
- Download percentile -- top 5, 20, 50%, or 'available'
- Current build status -- errors or warnings on some or all platforms
- Developer activity -- commits in the last 6 months
- Historical presence -- years in Bioconductor

Obviously the metrics are imperfect, so constructive feedback welcome -- we 
think the above capture in a more-or-less objective and computable way the major 
axes influencing use and usability.

We initially intend to prominently display 'shields' (small graphical icons) on 
package landing pages.

Thanks in advance for your comments,

Martin Morgan
Bioconductor
-- 
Computational Biology / Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
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PO Box 19024 Seattle, WA 98109

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Phone: (206) 667-2793