[wut42]

Are they really not "good open-source citizens" ? Keeping backwards compatibility doesn't mean a project is healthy, far from it.

Volunteering to maintain backward compat. It can be very damaging in an open-source project. So let's admit you become the "redis 3.x" guy for Sidekiq. Now, every time the sidekiq project moves or tries to moves forward, they have to see with you to maintain compatibility ? Do they know you ? Are you already a contributor ?

Also, who really needs to stay on Redis 3 there ? Are we blaming Sidekiq for killing RedisToGo, A RackSpace company, because they didn't "have the time" to upgrade to redis 4 ? Sounds like business needs. Business needs are rarely good open-source citizens.

[phendrenad2]

> Keeping backwards compatibility doesn't mean a project is healthy, far from it

How does backward compatibility mean a project is unhealthy?

> Do they know you ? Are you already a contributor ?

How is someone who shows up and volunteers to help not a contributor by default?

> because they didn't "have the time" to upgrade to redis 4

Time is money, and when you reach a certain amount of money, your business stops being profitable. So yes, presumably they literally didn't have "time" to do so.

[wut42]

>How does backward compatibility mean a project is unhealthy?

It doesn't mean it is, yes. Compat or not isn't a "healthy metric" at all.

>How is someone who shows up and volunteers to help not a contributor by default?

As a maintainer of a serious project, would you accept a PR adding back backward compatibility, with the premises of "i'll maintain it", from a random person ? It's not an healthy decision at all for the project to accept that, actually, depending on the project and the implications.

[phendrenad2]

So what does one need to do in order to go from "random person" to "accepted contributor"? Do I need to fix typos on the README for awhile? Do I need to fix random bugs for awhile? Or do I need to go to work for the company that sponsors the project? We shouldn't automatically assume that a more restrictive approach is more "healthy" here. It all comes with tradeoffs.

[wut42]

Yes, it was the point I was trying to make: it all comes with tradeoffs. Sidekiq choosed to not go forward with backwards compat, and I don't feel it make them "bad citizens" like you implied in your original comment.