[wp-hackers] Code reviews for plugins?

Eric Mann eric at eamann.com
Wed Aug 25 14:23:54 UTC 2010


For the record, no one has suggested any kind of plug-in "approval" process.
 We're talking about an *optional* review process that a) helps plug-in
developers reach a higher state of conformity with their systems b) provides
end-users with an objective set of criteria with which they can evaluate new
systems and c) helps everyone easily identify which plug-ins *really* work with
which versions of WordPress and where any potential code collisions might occur
(there are several plug-ins that are incompatible with one another because
developers broke certain conventions regarding naming, execution order, or
improperly namespacing their scripts).
 
We would never deny a plug-in from being listed.  Any reviews, while it'd be
great for them to be listed publicly on the repository, are entirely external to
the process of submitting and listing a plug-in.

On August 25, 2010 at 4:42 AM Otto <otto at ottodestruct.com> wrote:

> I'd like everybody discussing this to keep in mind that there is a
> very large difference between "review" and "approval".
>
> I, for one, do not want any sort of "approval" process for plugins.
> I'm unhappy with the theme approval process as it currently stands,
> because I think it's horribly broken.
>
> Reviews are fine. User reviews would be excellent. But I just want to
> be clear that we don't want to be putting anybody in the position to
> deny plugins from being listed for not following some arbitrary set of
> guidelines. That defeats the whole purpose of a code review, which is
> to help the developer to learn better ways and to improve their code.
>
> When you start denying listings because of not following some set of
> practices, then you're creating a walled garden of content, which is
> one reason I do not like the iTunes App Store and jailbroke my iPhone
> within 3 days of getting it. I don't think the WordPress community
> should try to emulate Apple in this case.
>
> -Otto
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