Abandonware

Abandonware is software abandoned by its maker.

People sometimes speak of it in a negative context. “Nobody uses it anymore”. “A waste of time invested”. “Why would they even make that?”. “What a failure!”

Nonsense.

Abandonware is what’s left when its maker learned what there is to learn from it and moved on. It’s software that served its purpose. Finding what doesn’t work is a prerequisite for finding what works.

Abandonware is beautiful. It’s the evidence of creative process and fighting the resistance.

As long as there are creative and curious people around, there will be new abandonware. I wish more people made it.