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Ironically, people hated the contribution graph stats because it gamified code contributions, and now we're introducing "achievements". This is kind of neat as

Ironically, people hated the contribution graph stats because it gamified code contributions, and now we're introducing "achievements". This is kind of neat as a one-off, but it seems like it'll get weird with scale. Isn't it disappointing if your code is on the rover but you don't get a badge because your code isn't on the helicopter?

easton 6y ago
I've started making a decent amount of commits to a public repository, and I almost feel embarrassed having my stats there because the commits have been rather marginal. I wish there was a way to block the specific numbers or block certain repositories from filling the stats.
- sdesol 6y ago
  > I wish there was a way to block the specific numbers or block certain repositories from filling the stats. This is somewhat related, but I'm working on impact based metrics that doesn't focus on commits, but is based on a contribution formula that I'm currently working on. You can get a sense of how the formula works by switching to the impact view in the following link: https://public-001.gitsense.com/insights/github/repos?q=window%3A30&r=github%3Amicrosoft%2Fvscode&v=repo https://public-001.gitsense.com/insights/github/repos?q=wind... As a side note, if you want, DM me your public repos and I'll add them to my public index list, as your contributions might have a greater impact that you may think. Plus it will provide me with more data points for refining my formula.
- ocdtrekkie 6y ago
  First, yes, commits is a terrible metric, because it lacks both the nuance of the size of commits and the substance of the commits. Also different projects have different norms around commits. Some people commit each step along a process, some force-push updates to their branches so a given improvement sits in a single commit. There's no good direct comparison between work across projects. That being said, don't feel like "rather marginal" commits is unhelpful. Support, docs, and tweaks are woefully undervalued parts of public projects, and you don't have to be building core features to be a big part of adding to the long-term success of a project. Don't sell yourself short.
kelnos 6y ago
And on the flip side, I got the badge because I have a few commits in the Linux kernel, even though the code I touched is almost certainly not compiled into any of Ingenuity's systems. Feels a little undeserved.
- hn8788 6y ago
  Sound like the National Defense Medal you get in the US Military if you served during an ongoing war, regardless of what you did. I think it's the only medal you can get before you even finish boot camp.
  - lapetitejort 6y ago
    It's called the Pizza Stain medal for a reason. Service-members are still eligible for it 20 years later, handily beating the Vietnam's 13 years of eligibility. See also the GWOT [0]. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_War_on_Terrorism_Service_Medal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_War_on_Terrorism_Servic...
sneak 6y ago
I think it's important to remember that the people who "hated the contribution graph stats" were the people who specifically complained about hating them. Many multiples of that number of people comprise the set of people who were indifferent about them + people who liked them. (Probably a lot more in the first subgroup.) It's selection set bias. You only heard from the complainers, making it seem like "everyone" disliked them. I think the contribution graphs are cool, and so are badges/achievements.
playpause 6y ago
> Ironically, people hated ____ and now we're ____. All that's changed is your own vague impression of what the current most popular opinion is.

easton 6y ago

I've started making a decent amount of commits to a public repository, and I almost feel embarrassed having my stats there because the commits have been rather marginal. I wish there was a way to block the specific numbers or block certain repositories from filling the stats.

sdesol 6y ago
> I wish there was a way to block the specific numbers or block certain repositories from filling the stats. This is somewhat related, but I'm working on impact based metrics that doesn't focus on commits, but is based on a contribution formula that I'm currently working on. You can get a sense of how the formula works by switching to the impact view in the following link: https://public-001.gitsense.com/insights/github/repos?q=window%3A30&r=github%3Amicrosoft%2Fvscode&v=repo https://public-001.gitsense.com/insights/github/repos?q=wind... As a side note, if you want, DM me your public repos and I'll add them to my public index list, as your contributions might have a greater impact that you may think. Plus it will provide me with more data points for refining my formula.
ocdtrekkie 6y ago
First, yes, commits is a terrible metric, because it lacks both the nuance of the size of commits and the substance of the commits. Also different projects have different norms around commits. Some people commit each step along a process, some force-push updates to their branches so a given improvement sits in a single commit. There's no good direct comparison between work across projects. That being said, don't feel like "rather marginal" commits is unhelpful. Support, docs, and tweaks are woefully undervalued parts of public projects, and you don't have to be building core features to be a big part of adding to the long-term success of a project. Don't sell yourself short.

kelnos 6y ago

And on the flip side, I got the badge because I have a few commits in the Linux kernel, even though the code I touched is almost certainly not compiled into any of Ingenuity's systems. Feels a little undeserved.

hn8788 6y ago
Sound like the National Defense Medal you get in the US Military if you served during an ongoing war, regardless of what you did. I think it's the only medal you can get before you even finish boot camp.
- lapetitejort 6y ago
  It's called the Pizza Stain medal for a reason. Service-members are still eligible for it 20 years later, handily beating the Vietnam's 13 years of eligibility. See also the GWOT [0]. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_War_on_Terrorism_Service_Medal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_War_on_Terrorism_Servic...

sneak 6y ago

I think it's important to remember that the people who "hated the contribution graph stats" were the people who specifically complained about hating them. Many multiples of that number of people comprise the set of people who were indifferent about them + people who liked them. (Probably a lot more in the first subgroup.) It's selection set bias. You only heard from the complainers, making it seem like "everyone" disliked them. I think the contribution graphs are cool, and so are badges/achievements.

playpause 6y ago

> Ironically, people hated ____ and now we're ____. All that's changed is your own vague impression of what the current most popular opinion is.