1. A method, comprising: creating, by a decay computation component of a search engine of a search system, a modifier value in a modifier type metadata field of a first object stored in a repository, the search engine implementing a modifier having a numeric data type representing a degree of popularity or frequency of use, the modifier type metadata field representing the modifier, the repository communicatively connected to the search system, the decay computation component embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium of the search system, the search engine communicatively connected to an application over a network connection, wherein the modifier type metadata field of the first object stored in the repository is defined by the application, the search engine configured for computing relevance of the first object with respect to a search query based at least in part on the modifier value in the modifier type metadata field of the first object stored in the repository, the decay computation component of the search engine configured for adjusting values in modifier type metadata fields of objects stored in the repository; and adjusting, by the decay computation component of the search engine, the modifier value in the modifier type metadata field of the first object stored in the repository towards a resting value, the resting value representing a numeric point at which the modifier value in the modifier type metadata field of the first object stored in the repository is to approach or reach, the adjusting performed by the decay computation component of the search engine: on a periodic basis, in response to a demand to perform a computation to update the modifier value in the modifier type metadata field of the first object stored in the repository, or in response to a triggering event.