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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?"

5 of 272 comments (clear)

  1. I think I found your problem. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Ubuntu Kitten writes

    I think I found your problem.

  2. It depends what kind of project it is by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    My fellow Americans, let me be the last to retail slanderous rumors. I have great respect for Mr. Obama and his family. But when our nation and our GOD-given rights are at risk, no patriot can remain silent. It has coem to my attention that our worst fears have been confirmed. "Barack Obama," whose real name is Giuseppe Franconi, is an agent of the sinister Italian power! Americans, imagine the not-so-far future: government agents violating the sanctity of our TV-rooms, our base ball parks, and our children's schools and churches, confiscating our GOD-given hot dogs and replacing them with salamies! Is this the "change" you believe in? Is this your "hope" for the future? I for one will not remain silent as nefarious Italian agents use the cover of the freedoms that we love to spirit their nefarious ices into our Democratic sanctuary.

    Now let me say I have nothing against the Italian people, who are a peace-loving people with a noble and historic culture. Their language, Mexican, is shared by many proud, upstanding hispanic citizens of this great land. But the hot-dog conspiracy is war, by a small secret cabal of Italians who hate freedom and our GOD-given meat products, and our freedom to eat hot dogs in our tv rooms must be defended. As long as I am the president, this administration will take the fight to the enemy and defeat the Italian menace. Thank you and GOD BLESS AMERICA.

  3. Re: How Long Should Open Source Project Support Us by bazorg · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    by morgan_greywolf (835522) morgan_greywolfNO@SPAMtampabay.rr.com on Thursday November 13, @03:03PM (#25746759) Homepage Journal

  4. Re:When beer is free... by hkz · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    RMS, is that you?

  5. For the love of God/deity of your choice... by pongo000 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    ...give us back the right to remove story tags from our life!

    Do I really have to put up with "smellyvagina" and similar inanely juvenile tags? It's a delicate dance as is to get Slashdot posts through our proxy (filtering comments and 3 and above keeps the filters happy), but if this crap keeps appearing on the front page, I'm just going to give up the fight and get my tech news (some of which is questionable as "tech news") someplace else.