Can plugin authors get a dofollow link from plugin repo

[gwsharsha]

Similar to how "Theme Homepage" / demo link is a dofollow link, can plugin authors too get at least one dofollow link from plugin repo on wp.org?

[jonoaldersonwp]

There's no such thing as a "dofollow link".

[jonoaldersonwp]

More helpfully, plugin content is very much in the 'ugc' territory, so it's risky 'endorsing' those links.

That themes currently do this is a separate consideration; but we should perhaps consider locking that down, too.

[Ipstenu]

ugc = User Generated Content :) For those wondering. And the concern is that if we dofollow those links, then in effect WP.org is endorsing them as valid. Sadly, not all are.

[gwsharsha]

Thanks @Ipstenu @jonoaldersonwp.. Does it make sense to endorse author URL(via dofollow link) of plugins which have crossed 50,000+ active installs?. As a small reward :)

[Ipstenu]

FYI you don't have to @ people who've commented on a ticket, they already get emailed :)

No, I wouldn't reward. There's not as much gained as people think there might be, and the risk of abuse is far higher than any benefit wp.org would end up getting.

[gwsharsha]

Well that makes sense thinking about thousands of outbound links from wp.org. No problem.. Thanks for your honest opinion Mika :)

[dd32]

Similar to how "Theme Homepage"

That's a valid report, I'm almost certain that the link is was not intended to lack a nofollow attribute, it seems like an oversight to me.

I think the homepage link for both plugins and themes should include rel="ugc" and given the target of spam, probably both extended to being rel="ugc nofollow" to highlight that we don't validate the targets. The ugc hint being there just because it can be.

Removing the nofollow attribute for "high usage plugins" would probably also fall afoul of Googles "removing nofollow in exchange for something" guidelines

@jonoaldersonwp Is it worth including the ugc flag at all? or just sticking with the blanket nofollow?

[jonoaldersonwp]

Given that themes go through a review process, I don't think it makes sense for the theme author link(s) to be marked as ugc. Those links are placed by 'us', with a degree of editorial oversight.

Happy to nofollow them, though!

[dd32]

Replying to jonoaldersonwp:

Given that themes go through a review process

Much like Plugins, the links are only reviewed once when they're submitted, further reviews are only done when they're flagged for doing something silly

[jonoaldersonwp]

Ah, ok. Yeah, that's ugc, then. Let's mark 'em up with both attributes!