[Owncloud] The endless github privacy policy war

[MJ Ray]

Marcel Waldvogel <marcel.waldvogel at uni-konstanz.de>
> I'm starting a new thread, as it was definitely way off-topic.

I'd taken it off-list, but I'll do as you wish.

> Please, Simon, calm down!

Seemed quite calm to me.  Bit grumpy maybe, but that's understandable.

> It is very easy to fill in the registration form with something that
> makes the github syntax checker happy. What is the problem?

This is at least the second advice that people breach github's terms
by creating an account valid-looking-but-fake data.

I believe that's dishonest and I don't want to be dishonest here.

Less morally, doing so would mean Github could delete the account and
all data connected to it with impunity - including any bugs reported.
Would that be good for anyone?

> Privacy probably is not an issue either, because you are sending it
> all over the world on this mailing list.

Well, we don't even know if his name is Simon... but why does that
matter to anyone?  It's no more or less a bug if his name is Sheila.

> [...] I am very astonished at how calm the developers react here; I
> know my tone would not be as nice towards stubborn people trying to
> make my life hard and miserable.

I agree.  I am glad that everyone keeps calm, but can we see both
sides?  I'm surprised that those who value their privacy are keeping
fairly calm, especially when facing this in a project that is promoted
with great headlines like "My requirements: 1. all data under my
control. [...]"  (from ownCloud - CampKDE 2011 presentation by Frank
Karlitschek on May 25, 2011).  It's not surprising that some people
get a bit grumpy when this owncloud project encourages them to give
data to github, is it?

When the move to github first happened, some put their concerns aside
because there were assurances that issues could be reported to the
list and forum instead. Examples:
http://mail.kde.org/pipermail/owncloud/2012-October/006104.html
http://forum.owncloud.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4537&p=10981#p10981

So if that compromise could remain and the github fans could just
resist the temptation to suggest everyone else agrees to github terms,
I expect we'd keep rubbing along nicely.

> PS: I hope we can conclude this "endless war" soon, despite my choice of title :-)

Me too.

Regards,
-- 
MJ Ray (slef), member of www.software.coop, a for-more-than-profit co-op.
http://koha-community.org supporter, web and library systems developer.
In My Opinion Only: see http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html
Available for hire (including development) at http://www.software.coop/