His software sang the words of God. Then it went silent

inputmag.com

16 points·herbertl··3 comments

This is why you need more than one copy of the source code. Stored on a backup, or servers, in case the original code goes away.

The man was talented, and nobody can replace him. Even a disassembled code would not be as good as having the knowledge to use it.

Of course it is prudent and wise to backup, but I'm not sure it matters in this case and many other cases. If tasked with creating an updated version of the software to work on current updated systems, even if all the source code was available (and was in the most likely state of readability and understandability), what developer here wouldn't start over from scratch (especially with this sort of application)?

I can't imagine anyone would scrap a couple of decades worth of work rather than make minor changes and recompile to update the software to run on a new version of Windows or MacOS.

Sad story, though, and it sounds like it's a real loss to the people who used and valued the software. I read once about the concept of designating a "digital executor" -- someone capable and trusted to manage technological things after a person's death, which seemed like an interesting idea. Analogous to a literary executor who handles unfinished or unpublished writings after an author's death.

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