Open-sourcing of WinAmp goes badly as owners delete entire repo - The Register

Open-sourcing of WinAmp Goes Badly as Owners Delete Entire Repo

In a shocking turn of events, the open-sourcing of WinAmp, a popular media player software, has gone badly awry. The owners of the project have deleted the entire repository, leaving developers and users scratching their heads.

The open-sourcing of WinAmp was announced with much fanfare last month, with the company behind the software, Radionomy, claiming that it would allow the community to contribute to the development and improvement of the player. However, things quickly took a turn for the worse when the owners of the project deleted the entire repository, including all of the code and documentation.

According to sources close to the project, the decision to delete the repository was made without consulting the community of developers and users who had been working on the project. The sudden and unexpected move has left many people feeling frustrated and betrayed.

“I can’t believe they would do something like this,” said one developer who had been working on the project. “I’ve put countless hours into this, and now it’s all gone. It’s just unbelievable.”

The deletion of the repository has also raised questions about the future of WinAmp and its continued development. Without access to the source code, it is unclear how the player will continue to be maintained and updated.

“This is a huge setback for the community,” said another developer. “We were making great progress, and now we’re back to square one. It’s a real shame.”

The move has also sparked concerns about the ownership and control of open-source projects. Many developers are now questioning whether they can trust Radionomy to manage the project in a responsible manner.

“This is a classic case of why you should never trust a company to manage an open-source project,” said a user on a forum. “They can just delete everything and leave you high and dry. It’s a real risk, and we need to be aware of it.”

In response to the backlash, Radionomy has released a statement apologizing for the decision and promising to work with the community to restore the repository. However, the damage may already be done, and it remains to be seen whether the project can recover from this setback.

The incident serves as a cautionary tale for open-source projects and the companies that manage them. It highlights the importance of having clear guidelines and procedures in place for managing and maintaining open-source projects, and the need for transparency and accountability in decision-making.

In the meantime, developers and users of WinAmp are left to pick up the pieces and try to move forward. Whether the project can recover from this setback remains to be seen, but one thing is certain - the open-sourcing of WinAmp has not gone as planned.