rnaturalearth
rnaturalearth finished its sp exit and is now optimising how the data actually arrives.
Comparison · Analytics
posterior vs rotl
A side-by-side editorial comparison of posterior and rotl — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
posterior vs rotl: at a glance
What is posterior?
posterior keeps deepening two things: the rvar type and Pareto-based diagnostics.
The releases in this window advance on two fronts. The rvar random-variable type gained factor and ordered subtypes (1.4.0), rvar-indexed slicing and `rvar_ifelse()` (1.5.0), base `%*%` matrix multiplication and indexed variable names (1.6.0). Separately, Pareto diagnostics have grown from `pareto_smooth()` options and individual `pareto_khat()`-family functions (1.6.0) through `pit()` for draws and rvars (1.6.1) to exported generalized-Pareto functions and `pareto_pit` (1.7.0). 1.7.1 is a paperwork release for a JOSS submission.
What is rotl?
rotl's whole release history is keeping name matching honest against a moving taxonomy.
Nearly every entry concerns `tnrs_match_names()`, the function that maps user-supplied names onto Open Tree taxonomy ids. 3.1.0 changed which taxon wins a multi-way match — highest matching score rather than lowest OTT id, reversing the rule 3.0.4 introduced. 3.0.12 defaulted `context_name` to 'All life' so a context inferred from the first name could not silently skew later ones. 3.0.11 made a total failure to match return an empty tibble with a warning instead of an error. The rest are small fixes tracking Open Tree API changes.
posterior vs rotl: editorial side-by-side
posterior
0.0ANALYTICS
posterior keeps deepening two things: the rvar type and Pareto-based diagnostics.
◆ Current state
The releases in this window advance on two fronts. The rvar random-variable type gained factor and ordered subtypes (1.4.0), rvar-indexed slicing and `rvar_ifelse()` (1.5.0), base `%*%` matrix multiplication and indexed variable names (1.6.0). Separately, Pareto diagnostics have grown from `pareto_smooth()` options and individual `pareto_khat()`-family functions (1.6.0) through `pit()` for draws and rvars (1.6.1) to exported generalized-Pareto functions and `pareto_pit` (1.7.0). 1.7.1 is a paperwork release for a JOSS submission.
◆ Where it's heading
posterior is positioning itself as shared infrastructure rather than an end-user package: 1.7.0 explicitly exports generalized-Pareto machinery 'for use in other packages', and the JOSS paper is a citation vehicle for the same audience. The rvar work points the same way — a random-variable type other Bayesian packages can build on. Cadence is steady but unhurried, roughly one feature release a year.
◆ Prediction
More diagnostic functions are likely to be exported for downstream reuse, following the pattern 1.7.0 established with the generalized-Pareto helpers.
rotl
0.0ANALYTICS
rotl's whole release history is keeping name matching honest against a moving taxonomy.
◆ Current state
Nearly every entry concerns `tnrs_match_names()`, the function that maps user-supplied names onto Open Tree taxonomy ids. 3.1.0 changed which taxon wins a multi-way match — highest matching score rather than lowest OTT id, reversing the rule 3.0.4 introduced. 3.0.12 defaulted `context_name` to 'All life' so a context inferred from the first name could not silently skew later ones. 3.0.11 made a total failure to match return an empty tibble with a warning instead of an error. The rest are small fixes tracking Open Tree API changes.
◆ Where it's heading
The recurring problem is ambiguity: names match several taxa, and the package has changed its tie-breaking rule twice while making failures and edge cases return predictable objects rather than errors. Nothing here expands what rotl can retrieve; it makes what it retrieves reproducible. The feed also stops in mid-2023, so the package appears dormant.
◆ Prediction
Nothing in the window suggests new capability. If a release comes, the pattern says it will follow an Open Tree API change or another matching-behaviour correction.
Alternatives to posterior and rotl
Other Analytics products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either posterior or rotl.
writexl
writexl spent nine years refusing to do formatting, then shipped all of it in 2.0.0.
rgbif
rgbif is steadily pushing users off paged searching and onto real downloads.
rstanarm
rstanarm is community-maintained now, tracking Stan and lme4 rather than adding models.
taxa
taxa started a ground-up rewrite in 2021 and has published almost nothing since.
taxize
taxize spends its releases absorbing other people's API changes, one dead source at a time.
See all posterior alternatives → · See all rotl alternatives →
Recent activity from posterior and rotl
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 2mo agoposteriorposterior 1.7.1 released for JOSS paper
- 3mo agoposteriorposterior 1.7.0 exports generalized-Pareto functions
- 10mo agoposteriorposterior 1.6.1 adds pit() for draws and rvars
- 1y agoposteriorposterior 1.6.0 adds Pareto diagnostics and ESS-based thinning
- 2y agoposteriorposterior 1.5.0 adds nested-Rhat and rvar indexing
- 3y agorotlrotl 3.1.0 matches on score instead of lowest OTT id
- 3y agoposteriorposterior 1.4.0 adds factor and ordered rvar subtypes
- 4y agorotlrotl 3.0.12 defaults matching context to All life
- 5y agorotlrotl 3.0.11 returns empty tibble when no names match
- 6y agorotlrotl 3.0.10 tracks Open Tree API updates
- 7y agorotlrotl 3.0.9 tracks Open Tree API updates
- 7y agorotlrotl 3.0.7 updates vignette for TNRS endpoint change
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between posterior and rotl?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. posterior and rotl are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 0.0 vs 0.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is posterior better than rotl?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. posterior and rotl are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 0.0 vs 0.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Analytics products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to posterior?
Top posterior alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "posterior alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/posterior for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to rotl?
Top rotl alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "rotl alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/rotl for the full list with editorial commentary on each.