[Owncloud] bugtracker situation

[Frank Karlitschek]

On 22.10.2012, at 21:39, kpneal at pobox.com wrote:

> On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 07:40:25PM -0200, Frank Karlitschek wrote:
>> 
>> On 22.10.2012, at 19:04, MJ Ray <mjr at phonecoop.coop> wrote:
>> 
>>> Frank Karlitschek <frank at owncloud.com>
>>>> github has a simple but nice issue tracker and it is also nicely
>>>> integrated so the idea was and is to move to it. We don´t have a
>>>> lock-in effect there because they have nice import and export
>>>> APIs. [...]
>>> 
>>> Ignoring that it isn't FOSS, there is another type of serious lock-in
>>> effect at github.  Only github-registered users can submit bugs there
>>> and github can boot users off pretty much on a whim.
>> 
>> Hi Mj,
>> 
>> thanks for you feedback. It´s really appreciated.
>> It is indeed unfortunate that github is not open source. We did the decision to move there only after checking that there is no lock-in. git is free software and we can always host our source code somewhere else if we want. For now we want to use the service which is the most convenient for the developers. Issues can be exported and imported somewhere else. We tested it. 
>> So we don´t think that we have a lock-in here.
> 
> Today. Does the site promise to not add restrictions later? Does the site
> promise they will never remove functionality ever?
> 
> Openness benefits small businesses. Lock-in benefits large, entrenched
> businesses. Businesses grow, and formerly small businesses can get very
> large indeed. Things then change for the worse, and when they do it is too
> late.
> 
> Is anyone keeping a mirror of the git repository or the bug database so
> if github up and folds tomorrow nothing will be lost?

If we don´t like the service anymore than we just leave. Easy.
Every git checkout is a full version including all the history.

Currently we want to use the service that has the best functionality so that we can develop ownCloud in the best possible way. This is our main goal.


> 
>>> github's registration terms are nasty in a couple of other ways.
>>> See https://github.com/site/terms or for a summary
>>> http://tos-dr.info/#github-tosdr
>>> 
>>> So please can we keep some way to submit bugs without registering at
>>> github?
>> 
>> 
>> I agree that this is not ideal. But it is not one of the bad terms of services that other websites use. I personally don´t see a problem because I don´t give away any right of my content by signing up here.
>> But if this is a problem for you can I suggest to sign up with a fack username and a fake email address.
> 
> I'd like to look at the ToS but the above URL isn't working at the moment.
> 
> Do they promise to not change the ToS in the future? Do they allow in the
> ToS for signups with fake names or email addresses today? Not following
> the site's terms to the letter can reduce leverage in the future if there
> ever is a dispute.


It is difficult or even impossible to make decision that everybody likes. But currently most developers are just fine with github.
And you can be sure that we will switch to a free solution if there is one available that is similar powerful than github. Migration will be easy because we can get everything out of github without problems.




Frank