>>> [!note] Migrated issue <!-- Drupal.org comment --> <!-- Migrated from issue #248145. --> Reported by: [michelle](https://www.drupal.org/user/23570) >>> <p>After a discussion on IRC, I came up with this proposal for a policy / handbook page. Before creating the page, let's discuss any problems or concerns with it.</p> <p>How to handle broken and abandoned contributed modules</p> <p>Drupal has a huge number of contributed modules. Some are well maintained and some aren't. In some cases, the maintainer wanted to share their code but then moved on. If the issue queue is full of unresolved issues and there is no sign of the maintainer, it may be abandoned. So what should be done about the module? There are a few possibilities:</p> <p>If you would like to take over the module:</p> <ol> <li>File an issue in that module's queue stating your request to take over maintainership.</li> <li>Wait two weeks to give the maintainer time to respond.</li> <li>If there is no response or if the maintainer responds and gives the ok, move the issue to the infrastructure queue to bring it to the attention of someone with access to make the change.</li> </ol> <p>If the module generally works but has some unresolved issues, appears abandoned, and you don't want to take it over:</p> <ol> <li>File an issue in that module's queue stating your request to have a note added to the project page.</li> <li>Wait two weeks to give the maintainer time to respond.</li> <li>If there is no response, move the issue to the infrastructure queue to bring it to the attention of someone with access to make the change.</li> <li>Someone with access can then add a note that the module is abandoned and looking for a maintainer.</li> </ol> <p>If the module is completely unusable, appears abandoned, and you don't want to take it over:</p> <ol> <li>File an issue in that module's queue stating your reasons for wanting the module removed.</li> <li>Wait two weeks to give the maintainer time to respond.</li> <li>If there is no response or if the maintainer responds and gives the ok, move the issue to the infrastructure queue to bring it to the attention of someone with access to make the change.</li> <li>Someone other than the person who filed the issue should confirm that the module is, indeed, unusable.</li> <li>If there is agreement that the module is unusable, someone with access can then unpublish all of the releases and add a note to the project page stating that the module has been abandoned. If a replacement module is known, link to that project.</li> </ol> <p>Another possibility mentioned for the third section is to add the note but leave the releases published for a few months just to be sure before unpublishing them. Since unpublishing releases causes update status to have fits, this should only be done if it is confirmed that the module is unsafe or unusable or if the maintainer agrees that it should not be available.</p> <p>Once we have agreed on a policy, sepeck said this should be added as a child page of <a href="http://drupal.org/about">http://drupal.org/about</a></p> <p>Michelle</p>