wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “microblogging”

wp.org orders by popularity, so a plugin a host bundled onto millions of sites, or a big-brand one that's slow and mediocre, can sit at the top. Our ranking is built to answer a different question: which of these is actually worth installing. How this works →

For “microblogging”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 3 of the top 16. 5 plugins are pushed down for signals wp.org ignores: errors, a host-installed base, or removal risk.

wp.org search ranks on

Install count (uncapped), the raw star average, freshness, and support. Popularity dominates, so the biggest install base usually wins regardless of how it got there.

We add

A cap on the install boost, volume-weighted ratings, and signals wp.org can't see: whether it throws errors on current PHP, whether the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

merit plugin signals wp.org

NextScripts: Social Networks Auto-Poster 20K+ · 3.3★ (617) throws errorsnot PHP-current low rating, top placement wp.org #2 1 too low 2

Microposts – Microblogging post type 90+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews wp.org #1 1 too high 3

TootPress 20+ · 4.5★ (4) thin reviews wp.org #3 4 L Live Blogging Plus 50+ · 4.2★ (5) throws errorsnot PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviewsstale but ranked wp.org #6 2 too low 5 L Live Blogging 100+ · 5.0★ (5) throws errorsnot PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviewsstale but ranked wp.org #10 ↓2 5 too low 6

Merit ranking caps the install boost at 1M (wp.org leaves it uncapped), replaces the raw star average with a volume-weighted Bayesian score and a Wilson lower bound, and keeps wp.org's own freshness and compatibility decays. Method from the plugin-directory source; see Meta Trac #8298. Positions are tracked daily from the first visit to a keyword, so the small arrows show movement since tracking began.