Even just throwing it out there with things stripped and it not working is not an end.
Then come the emails asking how to get it working, why certain things are as they are.
Most founders and creators care, so these emails are hard to ignore, and you want it be a success (otherwise you wouldn't have worked on it or then opened it) and so now you're shackled to having to document piecemeal, to many individuals, most of whom are not serious about doing anything as they are just kicking tyres.
Most interested parties in open-source projects are companies that could have been customers but didn't want to pay, and now it's free they want it without paying, and also won't invest in the time to get it working.
It's a huge burden to open source a whole project rather than just a library.
And as the OP said:
> If there isn't enough interest at the start, it's just prolonging the pain of failure. It's better to rip the bandage off and move forward with your life.
> It's a huge burden to open source a whole project rather than just a library.
None of that is a burden. There is no responsibility and this INCESSANT claim, is everywhere (used across all manner of projects for decades, specifically by MS or MS acquisitions) without basis.
> so now you're shackled to having to document piecemeal
That just sounds like you cant trust yourself to make good decisions, again? JUST DONT. You ripped off the band-aid. PROBLEM SOLVED. But that doesn't happen, traditionally we just get these nods about how "tough" OS projects are which makes no sense, since you are already washing your hands of it somehow the OS project you HAVE to handle? Instead, it's much more likely that people are afraid of criticism, which has never been borne out in the wild..."but we don't want to be compared to DOOM's sourcecode quality".
> won't invest in the time to get it working.
That's a personal choice. Reading how software works and looking at design, is part of the value. Getting it to "work" is ancillary. SMH
Even just throwing it out there with things stripped and it not working is not an end.
Then come the emails asking how to get it working, why certain things are as they are.
Most founders and creators care, so these emails are hard to ignore, and you want it be a success (otherwise you wouldn't have worked on it or then opened it) and so now you're shackled to having to document piecemeal, to many individuals, most of whom are not serious about doing anything as they are just kicking tyres.
Most interested parties in open-source projects are companies that could have been customers but didn't want to pay, and now it's free they want it without paying, and also won't invest in the time to get it working.
It's a huge burden to open source a whole project rather than just a library.
And as the OP said:
> If there isn't enough interest at the start, it's just prolonging the pain of failure. It's better to rip the bandage off and move forward with your life.