One Developer Questions Whether Open-Source Tools Still Matter in the Age of AI

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A developer behind multiple open-source tools, including PACX and several XrmToolBox plugins, is publicly wrestling with whether continuing to build and maintain community tools still makes sense. The question was prompted by a growing number of similar tools appearing online and the rise of AI, which lets individuals quickly generate custom solutions without learning someone else's software. In a reflective essay framed as a dialogue between two internal voices, the author examines whether open-source projects retain value beyond simple throwaway scripts. One perspective argues that AI has made small utility tools redundant, while the other pushes back by distinguishing between minor scripts and more complex, purpose-built tools. The author reaches no firm conclusion, but frames the exercise as a genuine attempt to decide how best to spend limited personal time.

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