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For me spending time on my open source projects doesn't make sense anymore. People (the community and employers) previously were impressed because of the amoun

by ipaddr 8mo ago

For me spending time on my open source projects doesn't make sense anymore. People (the community and employers) previously were impressed because of the amount of work required. Now that respect is gone as people can't automatically tell on the surface if this is a low effort vibe code or something else. Community engagement has dropped. Stars aren't being given out as freely. People aren't actively reading your code like they use to. For projects done before llms you can still link effort and signal but for anything started now.. everyone assumes it's llm created. No one want to read that code and not in the same way you would read other humans. Fewer will download the project. Many of the reasons why I wrote open source is gone. And knowing the biggest/only engagement will come from llms copying your work giving you no credit.. what's the point?

Cthulhu_ 8mo ago
But effort / amount of work shouldn't be a deciding factor - I think anyone can churn out code if they choose to. But it's the type and quality of it. Nobody cares if you wrote 5000 LOC, what they care about is what it does, how it does it, how fast and how good it does it, and none of those qualifiers are about volume.
9dev 8mo ago
Eh, I don't believe that. Smartphones have amazing cameras, and we still have photographers. There are CNC saws and mills that will ship you your perfectly realised CAD prints, yet there are still carpenters and a vibrant community of people making their own furniture. These examples go on and on. Without any kind of offence implied: As maintainer of a few open source projects, I'm happy if it stops being an employability optimisation vector. Many of the people who don't code for fun but to get hired by FAANG aren't really bringing joy to others anyway. If we end up with a small web of enthusiasts who write software for solving challenges, connecting intellectually with likeminded people, and altruism—then I'm fine with that. Let companies pay for writing software! Reduce the giant dependency chains! Have less infrastructure dedicated to distributing all that open source code! What will remain after that is the actual open source code true to the idea.
- em-bee 8mo ago
  exactly this. FOSS was always driven by those who could code and did so driven by their own intrinsic motivation. those people won't disappear. there may be less people because some are more driven by quick results and while in the past they had to code to get there, now they don't, which means they won't discover the joy of coding. but for others coding will become an art and craft like woodworking or other hobbies that require mastery.
  - ipaddr 8mo ago
    People wrote code in the hopes that others would read it think positive about them and maybe improve things. Those projects are going away
    - em-bee 8mo ago
      having been involved with FOSS for more than 30 years, i never came across that sentiment. not that it didn't exist, but i'd guess it is a small minority. people who write code to feel good about themselves likely don't make good project leaders anyways. they won't be missed.
      - ipaddr 8mo ago
        People write code for a variety of reasons but the ones who stop coding and spend time trying to publicize their project generally want people's attention. They find pleasure in sharing. People will still write code for a variety of reasons but why bother sharing if no one is listening.
- ipaddr 8mo ago
  Photographers use cameras so increasing cameras makes more photographers. CNC saws use to take pencil draws as input and now they can handle files. People always made handmade furniture while CNCs existed. Open source projects around a need will continue. Things like youtube downloader fills a need. But many projects were showing off what you as a developer can write to impress a community. Those are dead. Projects that showcased new coding styles or ways to do things are dead. Faang open source employment was never a thing. Faang filtered by leetcode, referrals, clout and h1 visas.

by ipaddr 8mo ago

Cthulhu_ 8mo ago

But effort / amount of work shouldn't be a deciding factor - I think anyone can churn out code if they choose to. But it's the type and quality of it. Nobody cares if you wrote 5000 LOC, what they care about is what it does, how it does it, how fast and how good it does it, and none of those qualifiers are about volume.

9dev 8mo ago

Eh, I don't believe that. Smartphones have amazing cameras, and we still have photographers. There are CNC saws and mills that will ship you your perfectly realised CAD prints, yet there are still carpenters and a vibrant community of people making their own furniture. These examples go on and on. Without any kind of offence implied: As maintainer of a few open source projects, I'm happy if it stops being an employability optimisation vector. Many of the people who don't code for fun but to get hired by FAANG aren't really bringing joy to others anyway. If we end up with a small web of enthusiasts who write software for solving challenges, connecting intellectually with likeminded people, and altruism—then I'm fine with that. Let companies pay for writing software! Reduce the giant dependency chains! Have less infrastructure dedicated to distributing all that open source code! What will remain after that is the actual open source code true to the idea.

em-bee 8mo ago
exactly this. FOSS was always driven by those who could code and did so driven by their own intrinsic motivation. those people won't disappear. there may be less people because some are more driven by quick results and while in the past they had to code to get there, now they don't, which means they won't discover the joy of coding. but for others coding will become an art and craft like woodworking or other hobbies that require mastery.
- ipaddr 8mo ago
  People wrote code in the hopes that others would read it think positive about them and maybe improve things. Those projects are going away
  - em-bee 8mo ago
    having been involved with FOSS for more than 30 years, i never came across that sentiment. not that it didn't exist, but i'd guess it is a small minority. people who write code to feel good about themselves likely don't make good project leaders anyways. they won't be missed.
    - ipaddr 8mo ago
      People write code for a variety of reasons but the ones who stop coding and spend time trying to publicize their project generally want people's attention. They find pleasure in sharing. People will still write code for a variety of reasons but why bother sharing if no one is listening.
ipaddr 8mo ago
Photographers use cameras so increasing cameras makes more photographers. CNC saws use to take pencil draws as input and now they can handle files. People always made handmade furniture while CNCs existed. Open source projects around a need will continue. Things like youtube downloader fills a need. But many projects were showing off what you as a developer can write to impress a community. Those are dead. Projects that showcased new coding styles or ways to do things are dead. Faang open source employment was never a thing. Faang filtered by leetcode, referrals, clout and h1 visas.