Since the end of 2013, I have been trying program after program, particularly code runs in terminal, in pure text-mode. It must have been dozens and many of them are actually pretty old codes, like a decade ago.

Amazingly, some still compile or at least can be compilable with patches from distribution. Many of those codes are really good programs, sadly no longer under active development.

I really don’t get to the development of so-called technology these days, from my eyes, they are just packaged with pretty skins, but inside are either rotten or just an empty shell. Hardly could be described as “re-invent the wheel.”

Looking and trying these old programs, they do practical things, they get things done. They don’t prettify, they simply do their jobs. Nothing more and nothing less.

So, if you are still looking for a new year resolution or want to make things better. Try the old programs, make them work again. They are open sources, you can do whatever you like to revive them.

You don’t have to be someone who can code, you can get people to fix the code. If the program is good, you can assembly a team to maintain and give it a new life.

I actually did this last year for smartypants, but not for a decade old project and the previous developers were still around somewhere that you could still get a reply via email. Of course, I am looking for a decade old project to see if I could make it great once again, but haven’t found one that I’m interested in.

Make people see how a program should be, and try not to re-invent new wheel when there is already good one lying around.