What happens when a large open source project dies?

https://nesbitt.io/2026/02/21/whale-fall.html

Whale Fall

What happens when a large open source project dies.

Andrew Nesbitt

@andrewnez

the 2010 were the years I went back to school in IT, and by 2019 I realized something was going terribly wrong... and soon after burned out.

we made the world or work less physically demanding, but made it complex beyond our understanding, until every project breaks apart like the Tower of Babel.

@Sassinake @andrewnez whale fall is a great analogy. But what of the ones that somehow stay afloat? From the PHP world I’m thinking of projects like drupal - don’t use it, but it’s been around for yonks and last time I checked the code looked very well cared for. Or the small ones that are essential and still mostly one person’s work. Is there any common denominator?

@Kynx @andrewnez

this article is about open source projects that die.

@Sassinake @andrewnez um yes. I did read it thanks.