I get it that the project isn’t getting work done on features, but it bothers me how the author tried to criticize basic code quality improvements such as fixing typos. I don’t know if the author is an active contributor to the project, but I think he shouldn’t really be criticizing the ones that actually contribute, wether their contributions are big or small.
It's time to let go, Apache Software Foundation
Submitted 1 year ago by TheCee@programming.dev to programming@programming.dev
https://rocket9labs.com/post/its-time-to-let-go-apache-software-foundation/
Comments
lysdexic@programming.dev 1 year ago
thesmokingman@programming.dev 1 year ago
The commit history I looked through has multiple commits for something that should realistically be a single “linted the project” commit. It’s valid criticism in this case.
lysdexic@programming.dev 1 year ago
The commit history I looked through has multiple commits for something that should realistically be a single “linted the project” commit. It’s valid criticism in this case.
I don’t agree. The trunk features multiple typo fixes and whatnot, but they are days apart and spread over weeks on end.
If anything, this shows that no one is contributing to the project, and people like the blogger wasted more effort writing posts on how no one is doing anything while they themselves do nothing at all, and to make matters worse they criticise the ones actually contributing something.
If the blogger really feels strongly about this, he should put their money where their mouth is and lead by example.
JackbyDev@programming.dev 1 year ago
But why care? Open source work is volunteer work. I’m not saying it is above criticism, but if truly the only people willing and wanting to work on the project want to make the commits like that as opposed to a single one, who cares? If you strongly believe in topics like this and want to work on the project then go help them out. But like I said, if the only people who actually want to work on the project want to work on it like that, then who cares?
Does Apache have incentive for the project to seem alive when it isn’t? Maybe? I don’t know. Do I think they’re trying to make it look alive? I feel pretty strongly they aren’t.
JackbyDev@programming.dev 1 year ago
I don’t see why the last major release being in 2014 is relevant. It’s just document editing software. If it still works for that then I don’t see the problem. This isn’t some sort of video game client where all of the game servers are shut down and you can’t play it.
zipfelwurster@feddit.de 1 year ago
I find this a weird take.
What about security patches? What about updates to document standards? What about technological advancements such as IPv6, 10bit colors, high res displays? What about bugfixes?
Software is complex and office suites are complex by software standards.
JackbyDev@programming.dev 1 year ago
The last major update is from 2014 but the latest update is from February of 2023 and indeed it contains security fixes.
mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 1 year ago
My parents got new phones and have endless hassles with photos being HEIC instead of JPEG.
Document formats are much more fucked up than image formats, at the best of times, and Microsoft almost certainly changes shit just to keep Open Office a little bit broken. This version is ten years out of date. Unless you stick to editing documents you wrote yourself - there is not a chance in hell it works the way people expect.
JackbyDev@programming.dev 1 year ago
I really do believe most people editing documents are going to be using the same tool as everyone else. Even using stuff like Google Docs to edit docx doesn’t work super well. It’s definitely a nice to have feature but I really don’t consider it the most important thing.
I’m also not trying to say anyone should use or even like open office. I’m mostly saying the idea of delisting it because it hasn’t seen a “major” update since 2014 seems wrong.
pastermil@sh.itjust.works 1 year ago
How about if you go try editing a docx on OpenOffice, then compare it with LibreOffice.
Tho with the fact you’re saying this, you probably wouldn’t tell the difference.
JackbyDev@programming.dev 1 year ago
I don’t think the primary use case of document editing software is editing a different piece of software’s documents.
lowleveldata@programming.dev 1 year ago
They should open source their bot for making those white space commits. It might be handy.
DogMuffins@discuss.tchncs.de 1 year ago
The article doesn’t really frame the problem apache is causing… I think it’s really just that someone might install OpenOffice thinking that it’s LibreOffice.
It’s definitely a dick move by Apache but… the reality is that they’re entitled to cling to the OpenOffice trademark if they wish, and it’s really LibreOffice’s branding problem.
Also the article doesn’t mention the 14 bug fix releases since 4.1, which seems kinda disingenuous.