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Ask HN: Startup shutting down, should we open source?

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Re: Ask HN: Startup shutting down, should we open source?

#21

Post by brudgers »

amadeoeoeo wrote: post #20
brudgers wrote: post #16

[random advice from the internet] If you really want to put an open source project out in the world the right way, taking what you learned and building an appropriate code base might be a better route. And if you don’t really want to put an open source project out in the world, that’s okay. Your customers had an interest in paying you enough to stay in business. They did not pay enough (and maybe because you did not…

What does "appropriate code base mean"? If I did it, then I would of course cleanse a bit here and there, make the corpse prettier as somebody wrote in another comment. More thant that, however, is an amount of work which is just not viable. Thanks!

An open source code base built for long term collaboration is likely to be organized differently than a code base written under desperate business conditions (which a dying company is).

Or to put it another way, if it’s not a hell-yes, it’s a No in practice. Even if you don’t want it to be one. Open source projects need enthusiasm. Only Google can get away with throwing code over the wall.

Re: Ask HN: Startup shutting down, should we open source?

#22

Post by saulpw »

amadeoeoeo wrote: post #20
brudgers wrote: post #16

[random advice from the internet] If you really want to put an open source project out in the world the right way, taking what you learned and building an appropriate code base might be a better route. And if you don’t really want to put an open source project out in the world, that’s okay. Your customers had an interest in paying you enough to stay in business. They did not pay enough (and maybe because you did not…

What does "appropriate code base mean"? If I did it, then I would of course cleanse a bit here and there, make the corpse prettier as somebody wrote in another comment. More thant that, however, is an amount of work which is just not viable. Thanks!

Yeah, no one wants some abandoned open source project for a defunct business. The only value is in code that is living and maintained. So if you're not willing to make it a living, maintained codebase, then don't bother releasing your source code, it's not even worth 10 hours of your time, since no one will use it.

Re: Ask HN: Startup shutting down, should we open source?

#23

Post by tukantje »

This really depends on what field the product is in.

In my opinion; if you can't sell it you could also try to hand it over to another company / third party. Finding someone to take over a project takes a bit of time but it'd allow for it to survive.

However you need legal advice, fast. First talk to a lawyer who understands this.

Re: Ask HN: Startup shutting down, should we open source?

#27

Post by creer »

saulpw wrote: post #22
amadeoeoeo wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does "appropriate code base mean"? If I did it, then I would of course cleanse a bit here and there, make the corpse prettier as somebody wrote in another comment. More thant that, however, is an amount of work which is just not viable. Thanks!

Yeah, no one wants some abandoned open source project for a defunct business. The only value is in code that is living and maintained. So if you're not willing to make it a living, maintained codebase, then don't bother releasing your source code, it's not even worth 10 hours of your time, since no one will use it.

> Yeah, no one wants some abandoned open source project for a defunct business.

That's not true. The OP mentions there are current users. Some of the current customers might be able to use ANY distribution to patch problems for a while. Eventually, someone mightneed to decide on serious maintenance or not. But initially it quite possibly would not require much.

When there are current users, the future may not be a thriving project but may be simply a patched up current solution. Nothing wrong with that.

I suspect this is the case pretty often: a current solution is not great but it's in place. The code itself is nothing to write home about, but it's in place. Patching problems in the code might be the easier path for the user.

Re: Ask HN: Startup shutting down, should we open source?

#28

Post by brudgers »

creer wrote: post #27
saulpw wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, no one wants some abandoned open source project for a defunct business. The only value is in code that is living and maintained. So if you're not willing to make it a living, maintained codebase, then don't bother releasing your source code, it's not even worth 10 hours of your time, since no one will use it.

> Yeah, no one wants some abandoned open source project for a defunct business. That's not true. The OP mentions there are current users. Some of the current customers might be able to use ANY distribution to patch problems for a while. Eventually, someone mightneed to decide on serious maintenance or not. But initially it quite possibly would not require much. When there are current users, the future may not be a th…

  Logical Possibility != Statistical Likelihood
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