*Drinks more coffee*
The repo is playing a huge part in the marketing strategies of more and more developers that are trying to make a living from WordPress.
This is true because some authors, not users, are making it that way. I do not think that should be the case regardless of how some authors use the reviews. That’s gaming the system.
The WordPress reviews here are not Famous Online Book Seller Turned Largest Retailer? reviews. Any company that is staking their success even partially on those reviews is making a mistake. When that mistake gets corrected (reviews are deleted or the plugin is delisted) then they’d suffer because of poor planning.
The reviews are feedback from users. Keeping them unvarnished even when the reviews are “Meh. Plugin. 1 star.” is important because that review is a tool to let the author know how it’s going for their users (not customers!)
That said, this is why incentivizing the reviews will get authors into trouble here.
I know it wasn’t envisioned as such (and I didn’t use it as such for my first 8 years developing for WP) but the writing will be on the wall more and more as we go for 50%. The hawks are circling as it may be.
Emphasis added by me.
It’s when people game the system that they get a well deserved tap on the shoulder. It happens and sometimes it’s just a misunderstanding. Sometimes it’s a blatant outright grab to get customers. Either one gets a shoulder tap. If it happens too often then out comes the more persuasive brick and the author can earn a lifetime ban that way.
*Sips more coffee*
Yes, a ban is severe but it’s happened.
Are there any actual policies on this stuff? Any guidelines for plugin developers other than if it smells funny it’s probably rotten?
I hope not. Ever play D&D? There’s always that player who finds that obscure paragraph that let’s their class use a dagger with a sword attack. One paragraph and the character class is changed. I hated that guy. ??
A policy or formal list of “thou shall do or not do” is just something that unfortunately will get abused. Reviews should be unvarnished and authentic, even when the review itself does not appear to add value. Anything else should be dealt with.
