All true, but for some reason he sees the major libraries as a different beast a...

curryhoward · on July 4, 2016

I think you are interpreting it as "Major libraries are allowed to do it sometimes."

I think what he meant to say is "Even major libraries do it sometimes." It is already understood that minor libraries do it.

crpatino · on July 4, 2016

I read it as: major libraries are reluctanly tolerated to break their API/ABI now and then. They are different beasts, whether you like it or not.

A colorary to the above is: libraries that break their API/AIB too early or too ofter never get a chance to earn the 'major' label in the first place.

You could also argue that a major library that abuses their privilege and breaks backwards compatibility beyond their "karma ballance" will be eventually forked or otherwise replaced by a more stable competitor. I am not sure if this idea holds water in the real world, but I really hope it does.