Unmaintained: The Human Cost of Sustaining Open Source Infrastructure
Behind the libraries that power much of the modern internet are individual developers working without compensation, organizational support, or a clear path to sustainable contribution. Open source maintainer burnout has reached a point of systemic concern, threatening the stability of software infrastructure that millions of applications depend upon. This article examines the structural forces at work and the responses — both individual and institutional — that may determine whether the ecosyste
