I don't get it. Some developer is no longer able to maintain a project, it happens. So what? As John Nagle says:
"
The process by which language libraries are maintained may have a bigger impact on language success than generally recognized.
A common event for developers is finding a bug in some crucial library function. The big question is, what happens then? There are several models:
1. The library is commercially supported.
1. The vendor is responsive to bug reports. The user submits a bug report and the problem is fixed.
2. The vendor is not responsive to bug reports.
2. The library is supported by volunteers.
1. There is an community supporting the library, with multiple people permitted to make updates.
2. The library is supported by a single person who is active in developing the library.
3. The library is supported by a single person who is not active, and no one else can change the code."
This clearly falls into his last category of 2.3...We are supposed to feel sympathy for some anonymous person on the Internet? I thought Hackernews was a venue for interesting ideas and innovative startups. (edited to include the first sentence)
It is interesting for many because they use the product and many feel it is great (see others comments). If it is not maintained, its going to affect them. And many of them are using it to support their startup's installations.
And HN is not only about interesting ideas and innovative startups, its about anything interesting for a hacker. And that could include news about another hacker (or human) who has built a great product and is now in distress. And many would love to help him as a human (to reduce the suffering) and as a hacker (to keep the product alive).
I understand your viewpoint. I just don't understand why I should care about this project, out of the sea of millions of projects that are abandoned due to the personal/real life issues of the author (i.e. the LuaOS author). Since it is open source, it can be easily forked and maintained by an author that cares (based on the many varied responses to this thread, there seem to be several developers that fit the criteria).
He is not asking for sympathy or money. He is crying for help - For a maintainer. (The article and the direct link to the project site mentions this).
So you may not be interested, but others might. And that is what this forum is about. And as you said, from the responses of many in this thread it is clear that many are interested in this news.
" The process by which language libraries are maintained may have a bigger impact on language success than generally recognized.
A common event for developers is finding a bug in some crucial library function. The big question is, what happens then? There are several models:
1. The library is commercially supported. 1. The vendor is responsive to bug reports. The user submits a bug report and the problem is fixed. 2. The vendor is not responsive to bug reports. 2. The library is supported by volunteers. 1. There is an community supporting the library, with multiple people permitted to make updates. 2. The library is supported by a single person who is active in developing the library. 3. The library is supported by a single person who is not active, and no one else can change the code."
This clearly falls into his last category of 2.3...We are supposed to feel sympathy for some anonymous person on the Internet? I thought Hackernews was a venue for interesting ideas and innovative startups. (edited to include the first sentence)