[novel]

Moreover, you have to be careful when uploading new code, when a new idea strikes into your head and you quickly implement a prototype, probably not in a very clean way and without unittests and stuff. This doesn't go well in conjunction with 'release early, release often' rule.

[billswift]

If that is how many OS wannabes think, no wonder that I have heard that most new projects just sit there taking up server space. "Release early, release often" is for after the initial release; as ESR has noted several places, if you actually want other people to contribute to your project, you have to get it into reasonable shape first, then release it.

[sbov]

For me, new code never goes into a public repository.

I use a private repository in addition to a public one. All partially finished ideas, quick prototypes, etc, go into the private one. If a project ever gets into decent shape, I move it over to a public one.

[IgorPartola]

I think if you open source something it's kind of an obligation to clean up and comment your code at least a bit, job search or not.

[jrockway]

It's not. When sharing code, there is no obligation to do anything. More people will contribute and share if you have well-documented clean code, but if you just want to throw something up there, that's good too.

Too many people don't contribute at all because the Internet is full of people looking gift horses in the mouth and they figure it's safer to not share at all. And that's not good for anyone.

[hussong]

That's so true. Over a year ago, I put a crappy PHP snippet on snipplr and forgot about it. Last week, I came back and found that eight people had saved it and three had left a comment. It's literally just one line of PHP, but it solved a problem for a couple people.

[gaius]

Well, yes, OK, there's no law that says you have to. But it is polite.

[IgorPartola]

So sharing a crappy piece of code with poor documentation is better than holding out until you can release a tested product? I don't buy it. Case in point: the many terrible suggestions in the PHP documentation comments.

[salvadors]

Yes. It gives the next poor schmuck something to work from.

That's assuming a world, of course, where at least some people actually use free software as something to hack on, rather than as a product to bitch about.

[novel]

IMHO, there is a difference between 'release' something and 'upload on github'. When you releasing stuff, yeah, it should be briefly documented at least, but when you just upload some new thing to hack on it, it's not the same at all.