CPAN vs. Freshmeat

Many answers you will find on this place refer to some module on the mighty CPAN. CPAN lists true gems and -IMHO- is one of the reasons the Perl community is as strong as it is.

Whatever your needs, always check CPAN, is an often heard phrase. Yet why then do some module authors feel the need to publish their projects on Freshmeat too?

Freshmeat lists many good pieces of software, yet I doubt any of us will point a browser there to launch a query regarding a Perl module. Is this TIMTOWTDI (marketing) to extremes, or am I just picky (and annoyed when I have to wade through more pages of results that do not interest me at that moment)?

To me, Freshmeat is just not "the right tool for the job" regarding modules... is it?

--
b10m

All code is usually tested, but rarely trusted.

Comment on CPAN vs. Freshmeat

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Re: CPAN vs. Freshmeat by Joost (Canon) on Dec 23, 2005 at 23:31 UTC
To me, Freshmeat is just not "the right tool for the job" regarding modules... is it? I think you've hit the nail on the head. I wouldn't use freshmeat for pure modules. As a user, I always search for modules on CPAN first, then google/freshmeat etc. On the other hand, I do use freshmeat to search for applications, especially if I don't really care what language they're written in, and I hardly ever use CPAN for that. So if you're writing a stand-alone application, freshmeat (or sourceforge) is a pretty good option, IMO. "What should it profit a man, if he should win a flame war, yet lose his cool?"	[reply]
Re^2: CPAN vs. Freshmeat by blazar (Canon) on Dec 27, 2005 at 13:42 UTC
I think you've hit the nail on the head. I wouldn't use freshmeat for pure modules. As a user, I always search for modules on CPAN first, then google/freshmeat etc. On the other hand, I do use freshmeat to search for applications, especially if I don't really care what language they're written in, and I hardly ever use CPAN for that. So if you're writing a stand-alone application, freshmeat (or sourceforge) is a pretty good option, IMO. Well, indeed, to quote from Autrijus Tang's Perl 6 is Here Today: "CPAN is my programming language of choice; the rest is just syntax." Now, I'm quite sure that this has been discussed here before: people tend to think that CPAN is or should be exclusively for modules. While I disagree with this point of view as long as it's the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (no reference to modules whatsoever), I see a point for publishing whole applications elsewhere. Most importantly I see no problem in publishing both at CPAN and on SF and/or FM. The different locations may be aimed at different target users, in particular perl developers for the former and "final users" for the latter ones.	[reply]
Re: CPAN vs. Freshmeat by reneeb (Chaplain) on Dec 24, 2005 at 01:54 UTC
You can find many modules on both CPAN and Freshmeat/Sourceforge. I think that is not a bad idea, because it es easier to develop a module in a group via FM/SF than via CPAN. In FM/SF you have CVS and any developer can commit changes and the development does not depend on one maintainer who has to merge patches, etc... Just my 2 cents...	[reply]
Re^2: CPAN vs. Freshmeat by dragonchild (Archbishop) on Dec 24, 2005 at 03:19 UTC
http://svn.perl.org/modules is an attempt to address that. My criteria for good software: Does it work? Can someone else come in, make a change, and be reasonably certain no bugs were introduced?	[reply]
Re: CPAN vs. Freshmeat by renodino (Curate) on Dec 24, 2005 at 01:04 UTC
There are many Perl users that don't paw thru CPAN every day. But (at least, at one time) the newest freshmeat posts were displayed on /. (tho that doesn't appear to be the case since /. CSS'd things - poorly). So the updates hit a much wider audience. Update: Ooops, my igorance is showing...I overlooked the /. homepage config, which includes a freshmeat checkbox.. and PerlMonks too!, but doesn't seem to include a CPAN feed.	[reply]
Re: CPAN vs. Freshmeat by samtregar (Abbot) on Dec 25, 2005 at 03:58 UTC
I put my modules on CPAN and Freshmeat because they serve different audiences. Someone searching on CPAN already knows they're looking for a Perl module to solve their problem. Someone searching on Freshmeat might not have decided on an implementation language yet, but that doesn't mean I don't want them to find my work. Users and developers are the life-blood of an open-source project - anything you do to get more of them is time well spent. -sam	[reply]
Re: CPAN vs. Freshmeat by diotalevi (Canon) on Dec 24, 2005 at 16:58 UTC
I never use Freshmeat for anything because it's too hard to find anything worthwhile and the interface is clunky. I've been of the opinion that Freshmeat is a wasteland and that sane people don't use it. ⠤⠤ ⠙⠊⠕⠞⠁⠇⠑⠧⠊	[reply]
Re^2: CPAN vs. Freshmeat by Aristotle (Chancellor) on Dec 26, 2005 at 10:48 UTC
I consider myself quite sane, thank you very much. Makeshifts last the longest.	[reply]