[Bioc-devel] Use and Usability metrics / shields

[Dan Tenenbaum]

----- Original Message -----
> From: "Martin Morgan" <mtmorgan at fredhutch.org>
> To: bioc-devel at r-project.org
> Sent: Saturday, May 9, 2015 10:15:13 AM
> Subject: [Bioc-devel] Use and Usability metrics / shields
> 
> 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.

This has now been implemented. You can see it at e.g.

http://bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/BiocGenerics.html

The shields are also available for use externally, for example if you want to display build status on a README in Github. Just pull in the image from:

http://bioconductor.org/shields/build/release/bioc/BiocGenerics.svg

Note that devel has a different build shield:

http://bioconductor.org/shields/build/devel/bioc/BiocGenerics.svg

Thanks,
Dan