Understanding Abandonment and Slowdown Dynamics in the Maven Ecosystem

TL;DR

This paper investigates the patterns and factors leading to library abandonment in the Maven ecosystem, highlighting key trends and behaviors associated with library lifecycle and risk of abandonment.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of abandonment trends, release activity, and lifecycle patterns, offering new insights into the dynamics of library sustainability.

Findings

Approximately 25% of libraries are abandoned within their first year

Slow release speed and inactivity often precede abandonment

Some abandoned libraries have bursts of activity late in their lifecycle

Abstract

The sustainability of libraries is critical for modern software development, yet many libraries face abandonment, posing significant risks to dependent projects. This study explores the prevalence and patterns of library abandonment in the Maven ecosystem. We investigate abandonment trends over the past decade, revealing that approximately one in four libraries fail to survive beyond their creation year. We also analyze the release activities of libraries, focusing on their lifespan and release speed, and analyze the evolution of these metrics within the lifespan of libraries. We find that while slow release speed and relatively long periods of inactivity are often precursors to abandonment, some abandoned libraries exhibit bursts of high frequent release activity late in their life cycle. Our findings contribute to a new understanding of library abandonment dynamics and offer insights for practitioners to identify and mitigate risks in software ecosystems.