> I see people write whole mission-critical systems that include OS libraries that depend on a single maintainer [1]. With no thought to what happens to/for tha

> I see people write whole mission-critical systems that include OS libraries that depend on a single maintainer [1]. With no thought to what happens to/for that OS project, no thought of donating to it, or even tracking that the maintainer is still the same person and it hasn't been sold to a malware author (to name one of many bad things that could happen). I don't see how that's different from commercial software, really. If the random 3-person operation from Nebraska that supplied you with a PLC controller goes out of business 3 years down the line and you need support, you're SOL either way. Same with larger vendors too: if Microsoft decides to cut a Word feature that you've built your entire business around, you're dead in the water. I think the moral is that arrangements have to be made with the appropriate experts if you want something to remain available.