Slashdot Mirror
How Long Should an Open Source Project Support Users?
Ubuntu Kitten writes "Since October the community-generated database of cards known to work with Ndiswrapper has been down. This is apparently due to an on-going site redesign, but right now the usual URL simply directs to a stock Sourceforge page. Without the database, the software's usability is severely diminished but this raises an interesting question: Is an open source project obliged to provide support for its users? If so, for how long should the support last? Web servers cost money, especially for popular sites. While developers can sometimes find sponsorship, is it possible to get sponsorship simply for infrastructure and user services?"
One of the hazards of the trade is that some software may cease to be supported. This goes double for OSS, where the developers are often unpaid.
The source is available. If you have to have it, pick it up yourself and keep the project going.
ad logicam Claiming a proposition is false because it was presented as the conclusion of a fallacious argument.
There's far too much agreement on this thread so far. Somebody please make some ridiculous arguments supporting the opposite position. We need pedantry! Where's the petty bickering? I demand more petty bickering!
Yep, then it melts and you go nine months without being able to use it. I think the analogy is perfect.
Exactly, open source projects leave you in an ambiguous state if you need support when the open source developer decides to do something else when you don't pay them. At least when I stop paying my Cisco, Microsoft, Dell, etc contracts, I KNOW, UNambiguously, that I'm not getting any support. Want to run OS9 natively (no emulation) on an intel quad core? Too bad.
But with open source? Who knows, someone else may support it for free! I hate that kinda of zero cost potential upside. It makers it so much harder to shit on other people's parades.
And how much does this cost?
I've said it before and I'll say it again: anybody who says that a business can just hire someone to work on open source software if it becomes unsupported does not understand the first thing about the nature of business.
Watch out for helpful translations from unknown sources...
"Print Nozzle Test" -> "chupa me"
"Clean Nozzles" -> "je manque une putain"
"Align Print Heads" -> "donde esta mis huevos"
"Properties" -> "Pile de Merde"
"Refresh" -> "Tenga una cerveza"
I kid, project looks great.
So all we need is more Jewish open-source developers, and our problems are over.