127 lines
5.1 KiB
Markdown
127 lines
5.1 KiB
Markdown
### GitHubbub! GitHub Does Not Value Software Freedom.
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<div class="inline-img octoflop">
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</div>
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If you hit this page expecting to have been taken to my GitHub profile,
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then this is probably not what you were looking for;
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but let me tell you why you're here.
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Before providing a link to something hosted on a service,
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it is important to consider whether the service or website is antithetical
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to the message you are trying to convey to your readers/visitors,
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and whether it deserves clarification;
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there's a little bit of both here.
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If you're looking for a host friendly toward free software,
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take a look at the [GNU ethical repository criteria][gnu-repo],
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which sets standards for acceptable hosts to parts of the
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[GNU operating system][gnu].
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#### Non-Free JavaScript
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[Free software][freesw] guarantees your freedom to study,
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modify,
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and share the software that you use.
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We value these freedoms on the desktop,
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so why should we compromise when websites serve proprietary JavaScript
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[just because it creates the illusion of remote execution][whyfreejs]?
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When you visit a website that serves JavaScript to the client,
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your web browser is automatically [downloading and executing][jstrap]
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(often without your permission) ephemeral, unsigned, untrusted software.
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If that JavaScript is not [freely licensed][librejs],
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then the software running in your web browser is proprietary.
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**When you visit `github.com`,
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you download over 200kB of obfuscated code,
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much of which is proprietary.**
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This code provides many website features that are fairly essential,
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and *do not work with JavaScript disabled*:
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- Change repository names or descriptions;
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- Delete repositories;
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- Add an SSH key to your account;
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- Fork repositories;
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- Create pull requests;
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- Enable and disable project features;
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- Use the wiki and issue trackers;
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- View graphs of statistics;
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- And others.
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That is---GitHub forces you to run proprietary software in order to use much
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of their website.
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This is a bit startling for a host that owes its very existence to the
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success and development of free software.
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#### Desire To Remain Non-Free
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I contacted GitHub back in April 2014 pointing out these concerns and
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asking if they would be able to either liberate their JavaScript or make
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GitHub's essential functionality work without JavaScript enabled.
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The first response I received was from one of their "JavaScript Developers":
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> Hi Mike,
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>
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> Thanks for getting in touch with us here. Some of our internal projects are
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> specific to running GitHub, and as such will probably remain closed. We do
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> make an effort to open source projects that we create that we think would be
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> beneficial to the community, some of which is JavaScript.
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>
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> You can see a list of some of the open source projects that power GitHub
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> here:
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>
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> https://github.com/showcases/projects-that-power-github
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This response is unfortunately misguided---yes,
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it is good that GitHub produces free software,
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but it is a false assumption that their proprietary code would serve no
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benefit to the community:
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the very existence of their proprietary software [gives them unjust
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control over their users][unjust];
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relinquishing that control is of benefit to the community.
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I replied to the above message to clarify my point.
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After receiving no response,
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I forwarded the e-mail to GitHub's original founders:
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[Tom Preston-Werner][tom],
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[Chris Wanstrath][chris],
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and [PJ Hyett][pj].
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The response I received from Chris was blunt and discouraging:
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> Hey Mike,
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>
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> We have no plans to release github.com's JavaScript as free software at
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> this time, nor do we have plans to remove the site's dependence on
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> JavaScript. Thanks for the interest.
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The original correspondence is provided here:
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1. [Original request][gh-request] to `support@github.com`, Tom, Chris, and
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PJ.
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2. [Reply to my original request][gh-request-reply] from one of the developers.
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3. [My reply to the developer][gh-request2] providing more information and
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asking for a commitment.
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4. [Forward of my reply][gh-request3] to Tom, Chris, and PJ, after having
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received no response from the developer.
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5. [Response from Chris Wanstrath][gh-request3-reply] stating that GitHub
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has "no plans" to liberate its JavaScript or "remove the site's
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dependence on JavaScript".
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[gnu-repo]: https://www.gnu.org/software/repo-criteria.html
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[gnu]: https://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu.html
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[freesw]: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
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[whyfreejs]: https://www.gnu.org/software/easejs/whyfreejs.html
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[jstrap]: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/javascript-trap.html
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[librejs]: https://www.gnu.org/software/librejs/free-your-javascript.html
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[unjust]: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html
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[tom]: https://github.com/mojombo
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[chris]: https://github.com/defunkt
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[pj]: https://github.com/pjhyett
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[gh-request]: /docs/gh/email-request.txt
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[gh-request-reply]: /docs/gh/email-request-reply.txt
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[gh-request2]: /docs/gh/email-request2.txt
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[gh-request3]: /docs/gh/email-request3.txt
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[gh-request3-reply]: /docs/gh/email-request3-reply.txt
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