Why quasi-open source doesn't work

A few minutes ago, I gave you some examples of how open source works. Now I'm going to give you an example of how quasi-open source doesn't work.

Looking for a tool to help visualize the development of our library's new Web site, I came across a reference in the Atlas of Cyberspaces to:

a neat Java application for dynamically constructing interactive visual maps of Web sites

The “neat Java application” was called Mappucino. The tool was released through IBM's alphaWorks, a site that I had long (and wrongly) associated with as IBM's location for open source projects. One must read the fine print, however; the following sentences from About alphaWorks summarize alphaWork's purpose for existence:

Since 1996, alphaWorks has succeeded in helping IBM connect with innovative developers to lead the development of promising new standards, products, and open-source technology.

To date, forty percent of technologies posted to the alphaWorks Web site have been incorporated into IBM products or licensed to third-party developers.

So, other than the remarkably commercial bent of the goals for the site projects, what surprised me was the text displayed when I followed the link to Mappucino:

Mapuccino has been retired.

Yup, that's it. No link to a download. No source code. Just the bios of six researchers who probably laboured over this project for months--not to mention any input from the “innovative developers” from outside IBM--only to see it disappear without a trace. Even if the tool was stuck deeply in JRE 1.3 (or earlier) code, somebody might have been willing to pick it up and update it for JRE 1.5. Blah. Boo. Based on this experience, I wouldn't suggest volunteering too much time to help out with an alphaWorks project. Real open source has an openly accessible source code repository with an accompanying open source license and a genuine commitment behind it to make the code available.

My quest for a good Web site visualization tool continues, by the way. Recommendations are welcomed.