this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2025
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Open source maintainers are feeling the squeeze (www.theregister.com)
submitted 6 days ago by hamburgheftig@feddit.org to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] truthfultemporarily@feddit.org 41 points 6 days ago (4 children)

I'm not sure if you've ever had a public project, but for most people, be it YouTube, twitch, github, whatever, its not so easy. Negative comments grate on you, and, over time, can really take a toll.

William Osman interviewed a bunch or creators about this: https://youtu.be/DVCpKfedfok

Its not as easy as to call people out. Some people go great lengths out of spite, doxx you, send you death threats.. Is it really worth it? Not that a "fuck off" will work anyway.

You say people will join you but they really don't. The reality is there are a ton of crucial open source projects being run by one person on the edge of burnout. See curl, xy, etc.

Money absolutely would help and I wish the EU would put additional funding into this.

[–] Obelix@feddit.org 14 points 6 days ago

Money absolutely would help and I wish the EU would put additional funding into this.

Not only the EU. Let's be honest: curl is used at Google, Meta, Apple and every other tech company. There is no reason why the EU should be the only entity funding them. Just funnel some of those tens of billions of revenue every quarter into the software that is essential to run your business.

[–] TimeSquirrel@kbin.melroy.org 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

It's also a security risk. Wasn't there just a recently discovered backdoor in some widely used library that was put there by someone who fooled a burned out/depressed maintainer?

[–] SMillerNL@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago

Yes, XZ the compression library that everyone uses.

[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 7 points 6 days ago

I appreciate your perspective!

[–] 0x0@programming.dev 5 points 6 days ago

being run by one person on the edge of burnout. See curl, xy, etc.

While Stenberg is the main developer, he's not the sole developer not does he seem to be on the edge of burnout.