The Open Source Project Maintainer's Guide
The article humorously critiques ineffective open source project practices, suggesting counterproductive methods like using uncommon version control systems, ignoring bug reports, and prioritizing features over fixes, while advocating for better management.
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The article by Liam White humorously outlines a series of counterproductive practices for open source project maintainers, suggesting ways to discourage contributions and complicate the development process. It proposes using less common version control systems instead of Git, requiring contributors to submit patches via email rather than utilizing automated tools, and ignoring detailed bug reports. White advocates for prioritizing feature development over bug fixes, merging incomplete patch sets, and maintaining outdated coding standards. He also suggests mixing coding styles, using slow build systems, and rejecting the need for documentation or automated tests. The overall tone is satirical, highlighting the absurdity of these practices while implicitly encouraging better management strategies in open source projects.
- The article satirizes ineffective practices in open source project maintenance.
- It suggests using uncommon version control systems to deter contributions.
- The author humorously advocates for ignoring bug reports and prioritizing features over fixes.
- It highlights the importance of documentation and automated testing in software development.
- The piece serves as a critique of outdated coding practices and poor project management.
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4 commentsimho: PostgreSQL's practice of using mailing lists for patch submissions leads to thorough code reviews and deep community involvement. While less convenient than modern platforms, it ensures transparency and keeps the project independent of third-party services.
https://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/Submitting_a_Patch
https://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/So,_you_want_to_be_a_develo...
Tom MacWright "Polite Technology"
"This is a book about the social interactions and situations that are the underpinnings of the open source world. It's about how humans collaboratively create software."
https://macwright.com/sites/polite.technology/preview
"Maintaining open source software
Let's talk about everything except for software development. Sometimes the image of a software developer is a person typing, alone, all day long. In most cases, programming consumes less than half your actual work time, even if that's your job description. Some of that is hated busy-work, some of it is social interaction that keeps you sane, some of it is akin to emotional labor.
Technology changes and every project is unique but there are common components to this work, like interacting with people, supporting and critiquing the work of others, and explaining your craft.
Let's find the parts in common and pick ways of expressing them that are both productive and kind."
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