What does it take to develop and maintain a big Open Source library?

One participant estimates that about 80% of issues are not valid bug reports, but questions or reports that need more information. Another says coding takes about 10% of their time, with most of the rest spent reviewing issues, responding, and asking for details.

With hundreds of issues to handle, one maintainer says they automate requests for missing information. Their bot closes issues after a month when contributors have not provided basics such as a repository or version number. The participant considers that a reasonable window to supply those details.

The discussion notes that some widely downloaded npm modules are maintained by a single person, which can create substantial pressure. Participants also mention public disputes around pull requests, forking, and the Colors library, describing drama as one part of open-source maintenance.

Maintainers find satisfaction in seeing their code help people do things that would otherwise be difficult. Contributions can also help someone learn a new language, such as Rust, and demonstrate experience when their job does not offer a chance to use it. The conversation adds that open-source work can build management skills useful in client projects.