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I basically agree, but note that open source software (especially popular projects and complicated codebases) can also change in ways you don't like. You can fu

• jffhn 6y ago
  >complicated codebases) can also change in ways you don't like. You can further mitigate this risk by using simple programs that have reached a "finished" state. That's exactly the kind of thing I'm working on, to be able to do simple 2D GUIs without having to directly depend on the complex depths and uncertain future of any specific GUI library: https://github.com/jeffhain/jolikit/blob/master/README-BWD.md https://github.com/jeffhain/jolikit/blob/master/README-BWD.m... I often had personal GUIs idea but never implemented them due to not wanting to depend on a particular library. Now that I built this abstraction layer, I'm starting to create GUIs. I feel like building some software for you that depends on proprietary code, or on code too vast and deep to be easily "kept afloat" on the platforms of the day, is basically enslaving yourself to others, or building your house inside of a prison or on the Titanic.
  • vulcan01 6y ago
    > or building your house ... on the Titanic Or rather, building your house on a ship, which may or may not sink.
  • compressedgas 6y ago
    On sand: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Wise_and_the_Foolish_Builders https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Wise_and_the_Fo...
• serf 6y ago
  >but note that open source software (especially popular projects and complicated codebases) can also change in ways you don't like. that's true, but most OSS gives you the option to fork at that revision.