Abandonware is a term used for a piece of software that is no longer developed or supported by the original author.  In the Joomla-world, abandonware can include third party extensions such as components, modules, plugins, templates and/or libraries.

It is important to ensure that all of your third-party extensions are still being developed and supported by the author, and should the extension you are using be abandoned, that you find a well-maintained replacement as soon as possible.  With a regularly updated third party extension, you can ensure that security and performance are maintained and that your website is proactively protected from new exploits.

The VEL team take the risks that come from abandonware seriously and often seek out third party extensions that have been abandoned for listing in the new Abandonware category which can be found here:

https://vel.joomla.org/abandonware

If you have found some Joomla abandonware that is not listed, the VEL team would be very grateful if you could spare a few minutes to report the extension using the form found here:-

https://vel.joomla.org/aw