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I agree. If somebody wants just publish sources - zip archive is enough. And this format will be answer to questions "can I rely on that?", "will security issue

I agree. If somebody wants just publish sources - zip archive is enough. And this format will be answer to questions "can I rely on that?", "will security issues be fixed?", "can I ask for more documentation?". With zip archive all answers are "No". Publishing code to CVS repository means "welcome for collaboration, we expect your commits, PRs, issues".

jrochkind1 12y ago
zip archive isn't enough to find source code googling, or to view a source file in the browser to see how the code works or to copy-and-paste from it, or to use github's search feature to search the whole repo in my browser, or (if hosted on github) to press one button to fork the repo into my own github account as a convenient way of modifying it. Those are all things i am likely to want to do with code published open source but as unsupported 'abandonware', use it as an example to look at and copy and paste from, instead of just using the product as is as without looking at the source. In fact, the one thing I'd be less likely to want to do with abandonware -- actually install and use it, instead of just consulting it as an example -- is the one thing you haven't actually made that much more difficult by publishing only as an archive.
dalke 12y ago
I have code on SourceForge that I haven't touched in 10 years. I'll only maintain it if someone pays me to work on it. Should I shut down the SF account? Actually, I think what you imply is publishing source code in a public repository says that I have a social obligation to work at no cost. Why can't I charge for my time? Why can't I ignore people I don't like?
- EugeneOZ 12y ago
  You can, just write about it in README to not give false hopes.
  - dalke 12y ago
    You mean, "send me email if you've got a problem. I might respond if I feel like it, but don't hold your breath. If you catch me at a conference then even better. If you offer me money it's more likely to hold my interest."? That seems rather ... needless. Surely it's better to assume that no one is obligated to respond to you than to cater to unrealistic and unreasonable hopes and promote this practice as being somehow necessarily. I also doubt it will make a difference. People don't read READMEs in general, much less for details about support options.

jrochkind1 12y ago

zip archive isn't enough to find source code googling, or to view a source file in the browser to see how the code works or to copy-and-paste from it, or to use github's search feature to search the whole repo in my browser, or (if hosted on github) to press one button to fork the repo into my own github account as a convenient way of modifying it. Those are all things i am likely to want to do with code published open source but as unsupported 'abandonware', use it as an example to look at and copy and paste from, instead of just using the product as is as without looking at the source. In fact, the one thing I'd be less likely to want to do with abandonware -- actually install and use it, instead of just consulting it as an example -- is the one thing you haven't actually made that much more difficult by publishing only as an archive.

dalke 12y ago

I have code on SourceForge that I haven't touched in 10 years. I'll only maintain it if someone pays me to work on it. Should I shut down the SF account? Actually, I think what you imply is publishing source code in a public repository says that I have a social obligation to work at no cost. Why can't I charge for my time? Why can't I ignore people I don't like?

EugeneOZ 12y ago
You can, just write about it in README to not give false hopes.
- dalke 12y ago
  You mean, "send me email if you've got a problem. I might respond if I feel like it, but don't hold your breath. If you catch me at a conference then even better. If you offer me money it's more likely to hold my interest."? That seems rather ... needless. Surely it's better to assume that no one is obligated to respond to you than to cater to unrealistic and unreasonable hopes and promote this practice as being somehow necessarily. I also doubt it will make a difference. People don't read READMEs in general, much less for details about support options.