@Jeffro -This harkens back to the question I proposed where the plugin repository has 50,000 plugins but 25,000 are considered dead, there are still 25,000 to choose from which is still enough to provide ample choice for a given piece of functionality, right? ' ' Do you think orphaned plugins is a growing concern or is there a natural process in place that prevents this from ever becoming a serious problem? ' 'No, dead plugins in the repository are not a 'real' or 'actual' problem, because the objection to this type of 'plugin-litter' is primarily of a moral character.

First of all, because there are 25,000 plugins in the repository, obviously we do not look at 'all those plugins' (dead or alive) to find the one(s) we want. By definition, ab initio, we in every real sense do & must ignore the presence of 99.99% of all the existing titles, live ones & dead ones alike. Long before we hit the first 5-digit count, the day was gone when we could 'look through the plugins'.

Secondly, usage of the repository falls into several readily-recognized strategies. In the most common cases, folks either; (a), know the one they want because they read a recommendation for a given plugin, by name; or (b) they want one because their friends or those they think are cool have it, and they want it too (by name); or (c) they have recognized/identified a issue, enhancement or functionality by name, and search for those plugin solutions that address the topic-of-interest, by name.

People who are browsing Extend, comparing collections of topically-related plugin-titles, building lists of search-terms into the repository (for giggles) ... are all fairly advanced operators, none of whom (and more you can lump with them) are impaired or inhibited in their chosen activities, by the presence of abandoned plugins, even at high percentages. No more so than all the jillion uninteresting, repetitive articles on Google News, which we just surf right on by, no problem.

Let's mention here quickly, that besides orphan-ware, we also have several kinds of plugins that are up-to-date, properly-made and work as advertised ... but which can pose a variety of real, objective hazards to those who use them. Dead-ware is pretty-well inert, but in fact there are 'live' plugins that can actively give us headaches, gut-aches, butt-aches, etc.

The person who notices the abandoned or outdated titles in the repository and 'reacts' to this simple reality is usually displaying nothing more or less than good-old-fashioned "moral indignation". "What is all this - this crap doing in here!?!". To which Mr. Spock would logically & correctly answer, "It's not doing anything. Obviously. Why do you ask?".

There can be strong frustrations that come with managing any web-presence. It's been a long time since WordPress was a 'small, simple' blogware. Who has not been tempted to rip the entire computer outa the wall and heave the damn thing through the window? Just speaking rhetorically, of course.

What finer scapegoat could you ask for, than 'Those - those stupid dead plugins all over the place!!'?

Put the computer down. Relax. Abandoned plugins are not a moral outrage. ;)