I wish that this article had focused more on the "how to" aspect of this problem and less on the "what" part. It feels a little muddied between trying to explain the problem space (researchers re-using code) and the "steps" involved (write clear code + docs, use Git).

As somebody that runs a semi-popular Open Source project[0], I am very aware of the painstaking task of taking a "hacky script on my machine" and turning it into something public that others can not only use, but trust enough to _depend_ on too.

Here is a rough checklist of tasks that come to mind:

- Write a Readme with a description of what the project is (help Google index it for future search)

- Publish a Docker image that can build the whole project and produce a binary or run the server (this is a massive PITA to get setup -- once you do this, setting up CI becomes very easy)

  - Ideally there is a Docker image with a small POC app too (which is often more useful that docs are imo)

- Put the project into Awesome Lists so that people will actually find it (also helps with SEO)

- Add a license to the repo and, if you really want people to trust it, add license headers to every file (I see _so many_ projects without even a LICENSE file. Without this, it's illegal to use the code at all!)

Beyond all of that, Docs help a lot too, as does a "legit" looking website, but you can get away with pretty crappy docs if you do all of the above.

0: https://github.com/lunasec-io/lunasec/