Pu—the uncarved block—as a metaphor for semantic versioning that preserves core simplicity while enabling natural growth.
The uncarved block, or pu, represents potential in its most natural state before it's shaped by human intention. In open source versioning, this concept warns against over-specification and premature rigidity. Semantic versioning can become so heavily decorated with rules that it loses its primary purpose: honest communication about compatibility. The Taoist approach suggests maintaining the uncarved block at the project's heart—the core API or principle that remains untouched—while allowing surface versioning to evolve naturally. This means distinguishing between the pu (unchanging fundamental design) and the versions (temporal expressions of that design). Laozi would caution against version inflation that obscures rather than clarifies. The strongest open source projects maintain a stable, simple core that remains almost invisible, while surface features flow and adapt to community needs.
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