[pdftex] why bother with ctan (was URL for latest PDFTeX)

[Robin Fairbairns]

> I'm not sure it fair to say people refuse to have their "latest"
> software on CTAN.  In the cases I have encountered, the versions
> that aren't on CTAN are generally "test" versions.  

my experience (somewhat at the centre of things) is different.
more-or-less whenever someone asks where they can get the latest <x>,
and i reply that we hold it, someone inevitably follows up to say that
no we don't, it's on some private web site.

> It is important to consider the burden on a contributer.

we offer a service.  potential contributors thumb their noses at it
(with a few honorable exceptions).  why should i, or any of the others
of the ctan team, bother to carry on?

i have to fend off pressure _not_ to use my department's resources to
provide a ctan service; i have to fend off complaints about the use of
my time providing that service.  the only actual real incentive to
carry on is that the burden on my colleagues would become even worse
if i gave up.