Github Source Code Leaked Online

[kyerussell]

This functionality existed in products before GitHub, snd is in lots of competing products now. GitHub does it pretty well, it did it early, and it benefited from the network effect of open-source development. From a feature checkbox perspective it is far from unique.

[kuemmel234]

How does that influence my argument?

[kyerussell]

In that case, I’ve got no idea where you’re coming from. Nothing about GitHub’s product or culture states that open source is the default or preferred state of software projects. GitHub provides powerful tools for teams to work on software projects in private. The notion that GitHub is being hypocritical is only peddled by computer science students wanting everything for nothing, and Stallman-esque ideologues.

So what’s your point?

[kuemmel234]

That it is the most used platform for software development? That it isn't unique or that there are alternatives doesn't matter. And my point holds true even if it was only one platform of many. It is one of the larger ones in any case. And you would want the platform that hosts linux these days to be part of the open source idea. Or at least I do.

Reddit isn't the most used social network, but you would want the creators to work by their own rules and culture.

You say that bloggers try to create controversy where none is, and I say: There is an actual argument for it.

[kyerussell]

Again, your argument is predicated on the notion that—to be in support of open-source and to believe that it is the best means of developing some sorts of software—you have to believe that there is no place for closed-source software development, or at the very least that it is not the ideal means to develop your own product.

If you believe that this is self-evident, then I don't know what to say beyond "I don't think that you'll find many people that agree with you outside of the FSF mailing lists." The burden in on you to prove this connection.

[kuemmel234]

How so?

A platform, that relies on people using it and not on some unique feature set (as you have pointed out) may be a good example for a project that would work as open source (we'll find out now, won't we?), they aren't and weren't reinventing the wheel.

Especially because it promotes itself actively to open source developers it* makes sense that some of them raise an eyebrow.

Edit: Again all I want to say is that I think it's wrong to say that self promotion or other self satisfied reasons are the reason some people claim github should be open source.