ZDNet Discontinues AppWatch

Adam J. Richter writes: "Citing "today's economic climate", ZDNet has discontinued AppWatch.com, a software release tracking site similar to freshmeat.net, but covering only free software (usually GPL compatible) and having an automated update detector, making it very current with low noise. AppWatch was originally an independent site created by developer John D. Rowell. Before anyone flames ZDNet, consider that it may be that even a 100% share of ad revenues would not have been sufficient to retain John and his staff in comparison to other opportunities. John and an assistant were originally working on AppWatch for free, and ZDNet did a good thing by arranging so that they could get paid for it, probably saving the site at the time. Both parties were doing something positive, and the fact that they had to stop does not mean that they have done something negative. I, for one, hope to see AppWatch.com continued in one form or another."

Comments

VersionTracker

[cshotton]

There are dozens of these sites. VersionTracker.Com is one of my favorites, since it covers all of the major operating systems and lets you formulate your own queries.

and CNET shut down 'webware'

[jqh1]

After I tried submitting a free web service to Webware, I got this email message:

Dear Provider,

Thanks for submitting your product or service to be listed in the Webware.com directory. However, Webware.com will cease publication on August 31, 2001, so we are unable to list your product at this time.

If you have a downloadable version of your product, please submit it to Download.com.

The Webware.com team

Forget Appwatch, Come To Distrowatch!

[Anonymous Coward]

The site is www.distrowatch.com. Not nearly as comprehensive as (now defunct) Appwatch, but growing and will hopefully be useful for people who used to frequent Appwatch. I relied on Appwatch for a lot of information, but now that I am on my own, I will do my best to keep www.distrowatch.com up to date. Feedback is welcome.

There's always the Open Source Directory

[Anonymous Coward]

...who were on Slashdot just a few months ago, if you recall, and who appear to be trying to solve more or less the same problem as these people - they presumably have the framework available to collect enough data to solve this (I'd say they already have solved this, but of course they haven't because there is so little software actually listed in their system so far)...

Re:What else do you need?

[bagder]

What do you need in AppWatch that Freshmeat didn't provide?

AppWatch figures out about updates automaticly.

As users, we may not care, but as developers, we think that service is priceless. I don't have to announce my new releases, just upload them and all is fine!