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GitGauge — Chrome extension that scores GitHub repository authenticity from stars/forks/watchers/issues ratios.

4 starsJavaScript

GitGauge – A Way to Try Tell If a Repo Is Authentic

by davey2wavey·Jun 20, 2026·4 points·2 comments

AI Analysis

MidShip It

Star-farming detector using fork ratios when GitHub already shows these metrics natively.

Strengths
  • Context menu integration scans repos without opening the page for quick evaluation.
  • Zero dependencies using native GitHub REST API keeps the extension lightweight and private.
Weaknesses
  • Heuristic admits uncertainty from author—fork ratios are obvious and easily gamed.
  • 0 stars and 0 forks on own repo undermines credibility of authenticity-scoring claims.
Target Audience

Developers evaluating open source projects before adoption

Similar To

Star-Gauge · RepoAuth · GitHub Insights

Post Description

I've been building GitGauge, a way to tell if a Repo is Authentic based on fork ratio, watcher engagement and issue activity.

I'd love to hear some feedback!

The part I’m least confident about is the heuristic. Right now it uses stars, forks, watchers, and open issues. I’d be really interested in where people think that breaks down, especially for niche repos, old repos, or heavily used internal-tool style projects.

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