GitHub locked down star data: Show HN study finds launches now run on fresh repos

The author of a 70,894-post Show HN dataset found that in July 2026 GitHub restricted stargazers listings and star timestamps to admins and collaborators. Measuring repo age instead, he found the median top-decile launch repo was 70 days old in 2024 versus 17 days in 2026.

• GitHub restricted stargazers listings and star timestamps in July 2026
• Median repo age for top-decile Show HN launches: 70 days in 2024 vs 17 in 2026
• Share of launches on repos under 14 days old rose from 25% to 47%
• Sample: 430 repos drawn from 19,983 GitHub-linked posts