View source for Freecode

{{Short description|Website}}
{{Redirect|Freshmeat||Fresh Meat (disambiguation){{!}}Fresh Meat}}
{{Infobox website
| logo = Freecode logo.png
| screenshot = 
| caption = 
| url = {{Official URL}}
| commercial = Yes
| type = Software
| registration = Optional
| language = [[English language|English]] only
| owner = BIZX, LLC
| author = Patrick Lenz (scoop)
| revenue = 
| name = Freecode
| favicon = 
| launch_date = 
| current_status = Inactive
}}

'''Freecode''', formerly '''Freshmeat''', was a [[website]] owned by BIZX, Inc., hosting mainly [[open-source software]] for [[programmer]]s and developers. Among other things, the site also hosted user reviews and discussions. While a majority of the software covered is [[open source]] for [[Unix-like]] systems, Freecode also covered releases of [[closed-source]], commercial and [[cross-platform]] software<ref name="about_2011"/> on {{nowrap|[[Mac OS X]]}} and handhelds. Freecode was notable for its age, having started in 1997<ref name="what_name"/><ref name="covey"/> as the first web-based aggregator of software releases.{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}

The site was renamed from "Freshmeat" to "Freecode" on October 29, 2011,<ref name="about_2011"/> and in September 2012, [[Dice.com|Dice Holdings]] acquired the website from [[Geeknet]].<ref name="dice_bwk"/><ref name="dice_ars"/>

Purportedly as a result of low traffic levels, the site is no longer being updated as of June 18, 2014. Because many of the linked software projects are otherwise difficult to find, the site contents have been kept online.<ref name="covey"/><ref name="about_2014"/> After [[Open Source Initiative]] co-founder [[Eric S. Raymond]] called for a replacement,<ref name="esr"/> freshcode.club was created and is accepting submissions.<ref name="sixgun"/>

On January 27, 2016, Freecode was sold, along with [[SourceForge]] and [[Slashdot]], to current owners BIZX, Inc.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sdbj.com/news/2016/jan/28/slashdot-media-acquired-bizx-undisclosed-price/|title=Slashdot Media Acquired by BIZX for Undisclosed Price {{!}} San Diego Business Journal|website=www.sdbj.com|access-date=2016-06-08}}</ref> The site remained in its archived state.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/4n3e1s/the_state_of_sourceforge_since_its_acquisition_in/d415s5n|title=The State of SourceForge Since Its Acquisition in January • /r/sysadmin|website=reddit|access-date=2016-06-08}}</ref>

{{Asof|2023|since=y}}, Freecode redirects to the SourceForge homepage, while freshcode.club is still maintained.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Refresh paragraph talking about Freecode · Issue #226 · theopensourceway/guidebook |url=https://github.com/theopensourceway/guidebook/issues/226 |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=GitHub |language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[SourceForge]]
*[[List of free software project directories]]

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="about_2011">{{cite web|title=About Freecode |url=http://freecode.com/about |date=2011-10-31 |access-date=2014-09-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111031160805/http://freecode.com/about |archive-date=October 31, 2011 }}</ref>
<ref name="what_name">{{cite web|title=What's in a name? |url=http://freecode.com/articles/whats-in-a-name |date=2011-10-29 |access-date=2014-09-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111031123247/http://freecode.com/articles/whats-in-a-name |archive-date=October 31, 2011 }}</ref>
<ref name="covey">{{cite web
	|title=freshmeat.net, 1997-2014
	|url=http://jeffcovey.net/2014/06/19/freshmeat-net-1997-2014/
	|date=2014-06-19
	|access-date=2014-09-01
}}</ref>
<ref name="dice_bwk">{{cite web
	|title=Dice Holdings buys Geeknet websites for $20M
	|url=http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-09-18/dice-holdings-buys-geeknet-websites-for-20m
        |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120920201909/http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-09-18/dice-holdings-buys-geeknet-websites-for-20m
        |url-status=dead
        |archive-date=September 20, 2012
        |date=2012-09-18|
	access-date=2014-09-01
}}</ref>
<ref name="dice_ars">{{cite web
	|title=Slashdot, SourceForge, FreeCode sold to jobs site company
	|url=https://arstechnica.com/business/2012/09/slashdot-sourceforge-freecode-sold-to-jobs-site-company/
	|date=2012-09-18
	|access-date=2014-09-01
}}</ref>
<ref name="about_2014">{{cite web|title=About Freecode |url=http://freecode.com/about |date=2014-06-19 |access-date=2014-09-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140619122043/http://freecode.com/about |archive-date=June 19, 2014 }}</ref>
<ref name="esr">{{cite web
	|title=Replacing freecode: a proposal
	|url=http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=5948
	|date=2014-06-21
	|access-date=2014-09-01
}}</ref>
<ref name="sixgun">{{cite web
	|title=Freshcode.club wants to replace Freecode
	|url=http://news.sixgun.org/2014/08/04/freshcode-club/
	|date=2014-08-04
	|access-date=2014-09-01
	|archive-date=2016-03-04
	|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031539/http://news.sixgun.org/2014/08/04/freshcode-club/
	|url-status=dead
	}}</ref>
}}<!-- Reflist -->

==External links==
* {{Official website}}

[[Category:Defunct websites]]
[[Category:Geeknet]]