How GitNova measures GitHub trends

What GitNova adds

GitNova is an independent project-discovery site. Alongside repository descriptions, it keeps daily star histories, records where projects were discovered and compares their growth over time. These observations help distinguish a brief burst of attention from sustained growth. GitNova is not affiliated with GitHub or the projects it lists.

Sources and timestamps

Repository metadata and star histories come from the GitHub API. Discovery uses GitHub Trending, GitHub repository search and Hacker News via Algolia. Collection runs periodically; each repository can have a different last successful update. The timestamp on a card refers to its stored assessment.

Daily history uses UTC. Today's displayed gain is the difference between two fresh star-counter observations within the current UTC day; the start time is shown. It can cover only part of the day and can miss earlier growth. A single observation is insufficient. Missing data is shown as a gap, never as zero.

Completed-day comparisons

The seven-day total includes the seven completed UTC days before today. It is shown only when every day has a measurement. The percentage compares that total with the preceding seven completed days, provided those days are available and their total is positive. Today's partial count and forecasts are excluded. The 30-day peak is the largest recorded daily gain within that window; the number of measured days is shown alongside it. It is not a lifetime record.

The chart's reference line is an exponentially weighted moving average of available daily history. It restarts after missing data. With a short history, the reference is less reliable.

Magnitude and star heuristics

The 0–10 magnitude combines an unusual burst relative to prior history, star velocity and acceleration, Hacker News discussion and recent forks. It measures attention, not software quality or expected future popularity. Low fork or discussion counts and unusual growth patterns can lower the rating. These are heuristics; they cannot prove that stars were purchased or that the software is unsafe. GitNova does not inspect every stargazer or execute listed programs.

Descriptions and reviewed notes

Most descriptions and categories are machine summaries of the maintainer's README, using DeepSeek V4.1 Flash. They may be inaccurate and do not enter the measured star history. Selected cards include requirements checked against a linked README, with the review date and limits stated. Those notes are document reviews, not hands-on tests. For installation, licensing and current compatibility, follow the project's own documentation.

Renames and unavailable projects

When a GitHub rename is confirmed for the same repository identity, GitNova redirects the old card to its current name. A different repository with a similar name is not a substitute. Deleted or unavailable repositories may return 404, and historical daily editions remain records of what was published at the time.