In some philosophies, being envious about art objects' durability vs. a software library's use-life makes for a category error. Art objects are defined as havin

In some philosophies, being envious about art objects' durability vs. a software library's use-life makes for a category error. Art objects are defined as having value in themselves, that we look at for their own sake (~form), rather than for what they can do for us (~function). For software libraries, this is mostly flipped. The metric of concern there, I might submit, is how many people have been helped by it and the downstream effects of that help (maybe it helped someone get a job, which then helped them get a house, and raise a family, etc...). Not the library's longevity per se, but the effects' longevity...