You don't use open source software because it's better (it usually isn't).

[mcc@mastodon.social]

You don't use open source software because it's better (it usually isn't).

You don't use open source software because it's freer (it only sometimes is).

You don't use open source software because it's got better politics (it isn't always).

You use open source software because *it is the only option*. In the long run, if it isn't open source, it doesn't exist.

image source: keithstack.com

[poleguy@mastodon.social]

@mcc "This author has chosen to make their posts visible only to people who are signed in."

[val@oc.todon.fr]

@poleguy @mcc https://skyview.social/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbsky.app%2Fprofile%2Fdid%3Aplc%3A6vk7e6satzt2zkcwwszhklqa%2Fpost%2F3mdvidtgk3s2k&viewtype=tree

[mcc@mastodon.social]

As someone who was a true devotee of FutureWave SmartSketch (which became FutureSplash Animator, which became Adobe Shockwave Flash, which became Adobe Flash, which became Adobe Animator) my sorrow is incalculable. Every day I long for software I had in the 90s which I can't find anything as good as today.

[operand@todon.nl]

@mcc wait didn't Keith Stack publish an animation made with this... Yesterday?

This fucking sucks

[lordcaramac@discordian.social]

@mcc If you use open source software that isn't particularly popular, it might cease to exist as well. I used a "soundtracer" (a kind of synthesizer that you script in a language similar to that being used for POVray scenes) called "sapphire" over a decade ago, and then it suddenly vanished. I can't even find the source anymore, and the last time I downloaded the source a couple of years ago, I couldn't compile it because all the dependencies were outdated.

[mcc@mastodon.social]

@operand yes he did

[boredomfestival@sfba.social]

@mcc This made me remember all the awesome, free games on Newgrounds and other sites :-/

[rogerbw@discordian.social]

@LordCaramac @mcc Yeah, but at least then it would only take a sufficiently skilled group of people to make it work again, without _also_ needing to pay off greedy IP owners who'd rather see it rot.

[lordcaramac@discordian.social]

@RogerBW @mcc The source might still exist somewhere.

[dbat@mastodon.gamedev.place]

@mcc amen.

[lordcaramac@discordian.social]

@RogerBW @mcc Nope, all I can find are links to the original website that doesn't exist anymore. https://web.archive.org/web/20050901030734/http://www.pale.org/sapphire/

[mcc@mastodon.social]

@LordCaramac @RogerBW Although it's not the point of your post, would you like a boost trying to find the original?

[lordcaramac@discordian.social]

@mcc @RogerBW I already found it on the Wayback Machine, thanks anyway.

[lenni@fosstodon.org]

@LordCaramac @RogerBW @mcc The website has an (archived) link to the tarball with the source code: https://web.archive.org/web/20050901030734/http://www.pale.org/sapphire/sapphire_19.tgz (If the downloaded file ends in .txt for you as well just remove/change that extension to .tgz)

[bit101@mstdn.social]

@mcc I was also a true devotee, but my grief ran its course more than a decade ago.

[lordcaramac@discordian.social]

@Lenni @RogerBW @mcc Already ahead of you, looking at the content right now. I'm a horrible dilettante of a coder though, I don't think I can fix it.

[bit101@mstdn.social]

@mcc I can still get extremely nostalgic about it though.

[waha_06x36@mastodon.social]

@mcc What... what does this announcement even MEAN.

You can keep using it... but you won't have access to your files? What are you TALKING about

[mcc@mastodon.social]

@WAHa_06x36 Look more carefully at the dates. They are saying you may keep using it past the official discontinuation on 2026 March 1, but you CANNOT use it past 2027 March 1, so on that second date presumably you will lose access to your files.