- I cannot simply change it to a -git package, as that is a new package; and the fellow complaining should know that. - My offer to make a new -git package is still extant, as is my offer that he can do so if he would like. - "Orphaning" a package that cannot be updated to a new release because the upstream author has NOT made available; seems to be a very odd request.
My suggestion: - So, please consider simply removing the package, since it appears to be so displeasing to keep this around. - OR, please let me contact the upstream author and see IF he will consider making a new release, either from his website OR from his git repo.
Building the package from a specific commit as suggested in the comments is a sensible choice in this case, even some Arch packages do that when releases are old and compiling become problematic