I can see where you're coming from, truthfully. I have went through that cycle myself. Sometime in your late 20s-early 30s you just get too busy with life for

I can see where you're coming from, truthfully. I have went through that cycle myself. Sometime in your late 20s-early 30s you just get too busy with life for things you used to love. I think the main problem is that, regardless of what anyone thinks, source code is really hard to read. I mean, line by line, it's very simple. It's the logic, the relations, etc. that make it so as I'm sure you've experienced. So, in most cases, the maintainer is the only one who truly understands the entire project. So, when he/she gives up on it, it dies. But remember, it's open source so anyone willing could always take the reigns! Contributing to open source doesn't have to be about pouring your heart into it, nor wasting your time. Bug fixes or improved algorithms are always a good start. But remember, it's open source - you're free to fork a project, dead or alive, and make it your own, to monetize it. The only drawback being that it remains open source, so someone else could just turn and do the same to you. I hope I don't come off too much like a zealot. Open source is important to me because it's how I learned, and how I in turn made a good living for myself. So I feel compelled to give back, to perhaps help others one day as they've done me. But I do understand it's easier for me - someone gainfully employed, than someone not. In other circumstances, I'd probably value my time a bit more.