Starlogs

How we pick

The Weekly Star is one person's pick from a shortlist a formula draws up. Here is the whole method.

  1. We watch all three boards, every day.GitHub's daily, weekly and monthly lists change by the hour. We keep a copy of each every morning, so an edition sees the whole week, not one hot moment.
  2. One good day isn't enough.A project qualifies by holding a board spot on at least two days of the week. One that flashes and disappears stays out.
  3. The formula makes the shortlist.Every eligible project is scored on growth for its size, how high and how long it rode the daily list, and its best rank on any list. The same rules every week, no favourites, and a project that leads one count outright gets in too.
  4. A person picks the star.It doesn't have to be the formula's No. 1: the formula measures buzz, a person judges whether it's useful. When the editor passes over No. 1, the note says so.
  5. Some risers never make the boards.GitHub's ranking skips sudden spikes. When we spot one climbing fast, it appears below the shortlist, flagged by hand.