RMS on GitHub (2015) | Hacker News Reader

RMS on GitHub (2015)

lists.gnu.org

GNU ethical repository criteria https://www.gnu.org/software/repo-criteria.html

Am I wrong in the assumption that all the javascript non-free programs that RMS describes is a mere convenience on top of a public REST API?

But is that API free? Is the database that it connects to free? etc...

His point is that github forces you to execute non-free software on your machine. I just don't think that's really true.

I don't know how you can argue that isn't true - loading up Github runs all sorts of javascript you can't reasonably inspect or control. Whether or not that is a bad thing, or, how bad it is, is certainly a reasonable thing to discuss, though.

They have rest and graphQL interfaces for all the functionality that isn't plain git. You don't need to use the github website.

I use the graphql api to build a set of shellscripts to do all my pull request reviews on my terminal using vimdiff for example. I can then approve or reject things just using shell and not touching the web frontend at all.

His actual point, in context, was that GNUstep shouldn't be hosted on GitHub because in doing so the GNU project is effectively inviting users to run GitHub's non-free software on their computer.

Does loading the page in a default-configured browser execute non-free javascript on your machine?

Is the page usable without disabling the non-free javascript?

Can you learn how to use the API without using non-free javascript on their documentation pages?

Is forcing someone to learn to use the API directly and interact with Github purely programmatically a reasonable alternative?

And finally if the non-free software is removed from your machine but interaction still relies on non-free software on the API side is that really any better for the end user?

The dude is consistent

Not just that. The issues he’s fighting for are important. Possibly the most important albeit rarely discussed issue in our world of software and tech. Do users really own tech which they cannot inspect?

Requisite reading: https://groups.google.com/a/mysociety.org/forum/#!msg/mysoci...

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