[Python-Dev] PyPI comments and ratings, *really*?

[Antoine Pitrou]

Guido van Rossum <guido <at> python.org> writes:
> 
> If you were to ask me, the people arguing against ratings and user
> comments are fighting a losing battle. If they had an iPhone or
> Android phone (or some other device with an "app store" kind of place
> to find downloads) they'd know the value (for prospective downloaders)
> of ratings and comments. Now, I think PyPI can use some (perhaps a lot
> of) improvement in the details of how it works, e.g. there should be a
> way to flag inappropriate messages (and users who post many
> inappropriate messages) and the software author should be able to talk
> back, but the general idea is here and won't go away by wishing it
> away.

Perhaps the suggestions and appreciations about the PyPI ratings and comment
system can go to http://pypi.python.org/pypi/pypi/ :-)

(more seriously, the problem with a comment system is that once it takes off,
you need a whole array of functionalities to maintain a good S/N ratio. Just
allowing people to "comment" without any sort of moderation, filtering or
community building doesn't work)

Regards

Antoine.