Freecode, formerly Freshmeat, was a website owned by BIZX, Inc., hosting mainly open-source software for programmers and developers. Among other things, the site also hosted user reviews and discussions. While a majority of the software covered is open source for Unix-like systems, Freecode also covered releases of closed-source, commercial and cross-platform software[1] on Mac OS X and handhelds. Freecode was notable for its age, having started in 1997[2][3] as the first web-based aggregator of software releases.[citation needed]
 | |
Type of site | Software |
|---|---|
| Available in | English only |
| Owner | BIZX, LLC |
| Created by | Patrick Lenz (scoop) |
| URL | freecode |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Registration | Optional |
| Current status | Inactive |
The site was renamed from "Freshmeat" to "Freecode" on October 29, 2011,[1] and in September 2012, Dice Holdings acquired the website from Geeknet.[4][5]
Purportedly as a result of low traffic levels, the site is no longer being updated as of June 18, 2014. Because many of the linked software projects are otherwise difficult to find, the site contents have been kept online.[3][6] After Open Source Initiative co-founder Eric S. Raymond called for a replacement,[7] freshcode.club was created and is accepting submissions.[8]
On January 27, 2016, Freecode was sold, along with SourceForge and Slashdot, to current owners BIZX, Inc.[9] The site remains[when?] in its archived state, but some discussion is ongoing to restore it.[10]
Since 2023[update], Freecode is redirecting to the SourceForge homepage, while freshcode.club is still maintained.[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "About Freecode". 2011-10-31. Archived from the original on October 31, 2011. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
- ^ "What's in a name?". 2011-10-29. Archived from the original on October 31, 2011. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
- ^ a b "freshmeat.net, 1997-2014". 2014-06-19. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
- ^ "Dice Holdings buys Geeknet websites for $20M". 2012-09-18. Archived from the original on September 20, 2012. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
- ^ "Slashdot, SourceForge, FreeCode sold to jobs site company". 2012-09-18. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
- ^ "About Freecode". 2014-06-19. Archived from the original on June 19, 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
- ^ "Replacing freecode: a proposal". 2014-06-21. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
- ^ "Freshcode.club wants to replace Freecode". 2014-08-04. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
- ^ "Slashdot Media Acquired by BIZX for Undisclosed Price | San Diego Business Journal". www.sdbj.com. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
- ^ "The State of SourceForge Since Its Acquisition in January • /r/sysadmin". reddit. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
- ^ "Refresh paragraph talking about Freecode · Issue #226 · theopensourceway/guidebook". GitHub. Retrieved 2024-11-03.