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Failed Startup code graveyard

codebituary.com

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Re: Failed Startup code graveyard

#21

Post by nirvdrum »

IgorPartola wrote: post #4
ajdlinux wrote: post #3

Site's not loading very well for me. I definitely like the idea of preserving the source code of abandoned projects though. Ultimately, I'd like some equivalent of the "legal deposit" principle that applies to books and other printed works - some kind of scheme where source code, not just object code, for proprietary products eventually makes its way into the public domain. I'm not sure how this scheme would work, bu…

I worked for a company where one of the clients required that all the source code be periodically archived and shipped to them so that if we went out of business they could potentially run it themselves. Practically, they wouldn't be able to because of the sheer complexity of all the different services. It was a minor pain to do this for them but the contract was worth it. Having said that, I am a big fan of open sou…

I wrote about why I opted not to open source my failed startup (and there was some lively HN discussion around it):

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8641867

Eight months later, I still think it was absolutely the right move. Don't get me wrong, I wish the project could have lived on. But I sleep much better at night knowing I didn't open myself up to any additional liability or feeling inadequate for not having the time to spend helping others do something worthwhile with the code.

Re: Failed Startup code graveyard

#22

Post by david-given »

IgorPartola wrote: post #4
ajdlinux wrote: post #3

Site's not loading very well for me. I definitely like the idea of preserving the source code of abandoned projects though. Ultimately, I'd like some equivalent of the "legal deposit" principle that applies to books and other printed works - some kind of scheme where source code, not just object code, for proprietary products eventually makes its way into the public domain. I'm not sure how this scheme would work, bu…

I worked for a company where one of the clients required that all the source code be periodically archived and shipped to them so that if we went out of business they could potentially run it themselves. Practically, they wouldn't be able to because of the sheer complexity of all the different services. It was a minor pain to do this for them but the contract was worth it. Having said that, I am a big fan of open sou…

Well, judging from my experience...

- failed startups don't just stop, they go into administration and get auctioned off, which means someone else owns the IP.

- proprietary source usually contains licensed copies of other people's source, and sorting out who owns what and what's safe to release requires a surprising amount of time and money.

My previous place had a tonne of interesting IP, all of which is now owned by a VC company who will never, ever do anything with it. I'd have liked to open source it if we could have, but it was a total nonstarter. shurg

Re: Failed Startup code graveyard

#24

Post by at-fates-hands »

richardwhiuk wrote: post #6
ajdlinux wrote: post #3

Site's not loading very well for me. I definitely like the idea of preserving the source code of abandoned projects though. Ultimately, I'd like some equivalent of the "legal deposit" principle that applies to books and other printed works - some kind of scheme where source code, not just object code, for proprietary products eventually makes its way into the public domain. I'm not sure how this scheme would work, bu…

Could be part of an escrow contract - e.g. if the company goes out of business, after x years, the escrow agent will release the code into the public domain.

I was thinking about something similar.

If a failed startup releases their source code and another team picks it up and solves whatever problem the original team had - time, resources, bugs, etc. and is successful, then there would be some kind of kickbaack (albeit small) to the original owners or developers.

You could think of it as a code consignment shop.

Re: Failed Startup code graveyard

#25

Post by vishalzone2002 »

great idea

maybe you should have some projects that can be bought and maybe the founder of the failed startup can make some money out of it. If there is no buyer for the code for certain number of days, it would be open sourced?

I am a proponent of open source but graveyard, obituary, failed.. sounded too much negativity..

Re: Failed Startup code graveyard

#26

Post by sideproject »

vishalzone2002 wrote: post #25

great idea maybe you should have some projects that can be bought and maybe the founder of the failed startup can make some money out of it. If there is no buyer for the code for certain number of days, it would be open sourced? I am a proponent of open source but graveyard, obituary, failed.. sounded too much negativity..

I run a site like what you mentioned where people can sell off their side projects http://sideprojectors.com - check it out when you can! :)

Re: Failed Startup code graveyard

#27

Post by codingdave »

This is fine for what it is... but at its core, it is a categorized list of github repositories, and the category happens to be failed startups.

I would drop the whole "graveyard" theme, and expand the categorization concept... then this could be less of a novelty, and more of a new wrapper around github for discovery of relevant codebases to whatever your current project may be.

Re: Failed Startup code graveyard

#28

Post by magicmu »

sideproject wrote: post #26
vishalzone2002 wrote: post #25

great idea maybe you should have some projects that can be bought and maybe the founder of the failed startup can make some money out of it. If there is no buyer for the code for certain number of days, it would be open sourced? I am a proponent of open source but graveyard, obituary, failed.. sounded too much negativity..

I run a site like what you mentioned where people can sell off their side projects http://sideprojectors.com - check it out when you can! :)

Wow this is a great idea!! I may very well use this to make a bit of money on the side. How long have you been running this service?

Re: Failed Startup code graveyard

#29

Post by swalsh »

The potentially most valuable part of this site is the "reason for death". In fact, i'd find that useful even if the site source code was not open source. Simply open sourcing your lessons learned is valuable.

There is a category of start-ups that are like that "American Ninja Challenge". There's a line of obstacles that are visible, and seem easy enough... but are hard to swing across. It would be nice to see the ways people fell in the pit. So when you try to swing across, maybe you can make it :D

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