I've been thinking about this off and on for a while now and this might be the more feasible approach. What if we stored the plugin locations and info in an SQL database. It shouldn't be much of a problem to make an interface for such a database, that can be updated by plugin owners. In that way we could let the plugin owners do the work of making sure their info is up to date and correct.
that sounds like a good idea. But I don't currently know how to implement a database that people could edit. All the code on the lackey side is pretty much already written. If anyone wants to help me with the database and the interface, please let me know.
One problem with the database is that it still would require someone to oversee it. People could maliciously add junk/offensive plugins. People could stop updating a plugin, or update a plugin in the wrong way. And if more than one person makes a plugin for the same game, and they don't work together, things will get confusing for users. And if someone stops updating a plugin, and someone wants to take it over, someone needs to give the new person the power to take it over. There's still a lot to oversee.
I could just have a button that links to a website with a list of all the plugins. And all you need to do to install a plugin is get the plugin's auto update URL in your clipboard and click the button in lackey.