Request for a Plugin Vetting System (Quality Control)

Discussion in 'BukkitDev Information and Feedback' started by tremor, Aug 2, 2013.

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  1. Offline

    tremor

    I'd like to see some sort of vetting system put on plugins and plugin developers. I don't mean to belittle or diminish the importance of new plugins and plugin devs contributing to the community but I do see a lot of overlap and an abundance of "This is my first plugin, it basically does the same thing as 500 other plugins".

    Vetting levels could be like this:
    • Individual Plugin: Vetting levels based on download count, perhaps a rating system, or metrics count (plugins used on hundreds of servers vs. 5 servers vs. no metrics at all) and Developer vetting level.
    • Plugin Developer: Developers could receive vetting based on the same qualities of their plugins. Plugins introduced by vetted devs would in turn have points added toward their vetting level. If a developer like mbaxter introduces a new plugin it should automatically get some bump in vetting because of who made it.
    I would like to see vetting apply in a couple of ways.
    1. Plugin submission and approval.
    2. Search and plugin list. (Select "Vetted Only" or highlighted/bold listings)
    3. Inclusion in some sort of "Top" list based on category.
    I'm proposing this not as a developer myself but as a server admin who has simply grown weary of the glut of junk piling up on DBO. I have my core "go-to" plugins for my server but it's also nice to find other interesting plugins.. but it's so hard wading through dozens of really low level, low quality stuff that in many cases maybe should be on an "alpha.bukkit.org" instead of DBO main plugin list.

    That's all. Flame away at my stupid idea.
     
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    hatstand

    Too much effort for too little gain.
     
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    logangorence

    I don't see the point of doing this, that just doesn't allow other people's plugins that may actually be good not have a chance to see the light, and it would likely just make less people want to develop for Bukkit. I would rather have to search harder for plugins that I need, and possibly come up with a few plugins that weren't what I was looking for, but just to try, and I might have liked them.
     
    xize likes this.
  4. Offline

    tremor

    I don't see where this takes much effort at all, The DBO plugin search already has FILTERS for "Category" and "Stage" however, stage IMHO is totally useless because it allows the plugin developer to determine their plugins stage (planning, alpha, beta, release, mature, etc).


    The current system doesn't help plugins that might actually be good see the light either, because server admins just follow guides posted online, and browse past everything looking for what they've always used. At least with some sort of staff based or even user based system, the community can flag a plugin on DBO and say hey, try this one out, it's really good!

    I mean, I would totally volunteer some of my time to join a panel of like "new & noteworthy" reviewers to balance out a vetting system so that it wouldn't be unfair.
     
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    Wild1145

    It would be nice to have a system where server owners can see new plugins that they may find of use as you said, but i think there would be a much easier way of doing it. If you had something in the project setting saying "What style of server would this be best for" then list some standard styles or other (With text box) then server owners can search the plugins by server style. So a PVP style server search would have all the plugins that the developer feels would be best for a PVP style server. I feel that would be a better way to get owners to find lesser known plugins.
     
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    ZeusAllMighty11

    Though I see your point, I feel like this is more of a popularity contest.
     
  7. Offline

    ZachBora

    tremor To be honest, changes to bukkitdev take years+ to get in. There's stuff staff asked curse last year and isn't done yet.
     
  8. Offline

    tremor

    There's nothing wrong with that. Popularity tends to be a good judgement of quality when it comes to software. It is why, when I am looking for plugins (as a server owner) I don't even use DBO anymore, I go to MCStats and pour over the top 100 and/or I just continue to use what's always worked for me.
    You're probably right, I withdraw this suggestion entirely - I'm going to start working on a plugin review site of my own instead.
     
  9. Offline

    Gravity

    I started to do something a bit like this through Situla, but I was too busy with school to finish the project.
     
  10. Offline

    xize

    I like the system how it currently is, honest I don't think vetting systems(implied as rate system) are a good thing because it would feed some people to say I'm better than you, or to start flames rudely on somebodys dev page because its a duplicate, as server owner I'm glad there are duplicates just because sometimes I had to switch as it wasn't updated or just didn't worked that simple to my expectations, than the other does.
    Honest I can understand that sometimes a longer search through a fogy list could give some frustrations but small devs deserve a chance
     
  11. Offline

    sfxworks

    Vetting destroys new plugin developers
     
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