Bonum Certa Men Certa

Nobody Needs GitHub for Anything

Summary: A reader explains why Rust is wrong to use GitHub and why the reasoning/excuses of many such projects are inherently flawed if not intentionally dishonest

This article is a discussion around the following thread.

Let's bust some myths here.

Myth 0: GitHub is the only way to develop software in a distributed fashion.



"Software was developed in a distributed fashion since the dawn of software."Let's list things that were developed in a distributed fashion long before the existence of GitHub:

0) Git itself 1) GNU C compiler 2) GNU utilities 3) Linux Kernel 4) GnuPG 5) FreeBSD

Need we go on? Software was developed in a distributed fashion since the dawn of software.

Myth 1: GitHub is the only distributed development system.



Trying to market GitHub as the only way to develop software in a distributed fashion is a display of such ignorance that it is revolting. Which is why the statement "When there is a viable distributed alternative to guthub [sic] I am sure it will be seriously considered" could only be propaganda.

The Rust committee are spoiled for choice when it comes to distributed development systems. The market for interfaces built on top of Git is incredibly saturated. Gitea and GitLab are among two of the systems that are direct competitors to GitHub. So the problem here is not lack of a "viable distributed alternative" to GitHub. If the Rust committee wanted to migrate, they have many options available.

Myth 2: You need systems like GitHub or GitLab or Gitea to develop software in a distributed fashion, in the first place.



Distributed software development (DSD) is a social phenomenon; DSD is not tied to any one tool/system. People with experience in DSD know that projects usually have contributions coming in from several channels: email, forums, dedicated bug-trackers, IRC chats, etc.

Contributions that are worth something will get accepted, regardless of how they get into the hands of the maintainer(s) of a project.

Don't believe the marketing propaganda that you NEED GitHub. If you want to use GitHub, you are free to do so. Just don't fall for the lie that GitHub is the only option out there.

Myth 3: GitHub works for large projects.



Once your codebase and the necessary tooling required to develop your software gets complex enough, you will be met with the deficiencies of GitHub. GitHub chokes on large diffs; you are forced into the automation workflows imposed on you by GitHub; you can't analyse the source code when something doesn't work as you expect; these are only some of the deficiencies.

Myth 4: Your project is safe on GitHub.



Go browse the internet about what happened to the program youtube-dl. The following links are informative (and entertaining):

● Free as in Freedom Should Not be Associated With Cost

● Meme #0

Robotnik Button: Microsoft loves Open Source, Microsoft loves RIAA



● Meme #1

Dhmis argument: EFF: Youtube-dl takedown is RIAA's fault, Youtube-dl: But Microsoft is in the RIAA, EFF: Look, it's not like we're going to tell people to delete GitHub, Elephant in the room: Didn't the EFF give an award to Microsoft recently?



Recent Techrights' Posts

Links 28/03/2024: GAFAM Replacing Full-Time Workers With Interns Now
Links for the day
Consent & Debian's illegitimate constitution
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
The Time Our Server Host Died in a Car Accident
If Debian has internal problems, then they need to be illuminated and then tackled, at the very least in order to ensure we do not end up with "Deadian"
China's New 'IT' Rules Are a Massive Headache for Microsoft
On the issue of China we're neutral except when it comes to human rights issues
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, March 27, 2024
IRC logs for Wednesday, March 27, 2024
WeMakeFedora.org: harassment decision, victory for volunteers and Fedora Foundations
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Links 27/03/2024: Terrorism Grows in Africa, Unemployment in Finland Rose Sharply in a Year, Chinese Aggression Escalates
Links for the day
Links 27/03/2024: Ericsson and Tencent Layoffs
Links for the day
Amid Online Reports of XBox Sales Collapsing, Mass Layoffs in More Teams, and Windows Making Things Worse (Admission of Losses, Rumours About XBox Canceled as a Hardware Unit)...
Windows has loads of issues, also as a gaming platform
Links 27/03/2024: BBC Resorts to CG Cruft, Akamai Blocking Blunders in Piracy Shield
Links for the day
Android Approaches 90% of the Operating Systems Market in Chad (Windows Down From 99.5% 15 Years Ago to Just 2.5% Right Now)
Windows is down to about 2% on the Web-connected client side as measured by statCounter
Sainsbury's: Let Them Eat Yoghurts (and Microsoft Downtimes When They Need Proper Food)
a social control media 'scandal' this week
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, March 26, 2024
IRC logs for Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
Windows/Client at Microsoft Falling Sharply (Well Over 10% Decline Every Quarter), So For His Next Trick the Ponzi in Chief Merges Units, Spices Everything Up With "AI"
Hiding the steep decline of Windows/Client at Microsoft?
Free technology in housing and construction
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
We Need Open Standards With Free Software Implementations, Not "Interoperability" Alone
Sadly we're confronting misguided managers and a bunch of clowns trying to herd us all - sometimes without consent - into "clown computing"
Microsoft's Collapse in the Web Server Space Continued This Month
Microsoft is the "2%", just like Windows in some countries
Links 26/03/2024: Inflation Problems, Strikes in Finland
Links for the day
Gemini Links 26/03/2024: Losing Children, Carbon Tax Discussed
Links for the day
Mark Shuttleworth resigns from Debian: volunteer suicide and Albania questions unanswered, mass resignations continue
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Links 26/03/2024: 6,000 Layoffs at Dell, Microsoft “XBox is in Real Trouble as a Hardware Manufacturer”
Links for the day
Gemini Links 26/03/2024: Microsofters Still Trying to 'Extend' Gemini Protocol
Links for the day
Look What IBM's Red Hat is Turning CentOS Into
For 17 years our site ran on CentOS. Thankfully we're done with that...
The Julian Paul Assange Verdict: The High Court Has Granted Assange Leave to Appeal Extradition to the United States, Decision Adjourned to May 20th Pending Assurances
The decision is out
The Microsoft and Apple Antitrust Issues Have Some But Not Many Commonalities
gist of the comparison to Microsoft
ZDNet, Sponsored by Microsoft for Paid-for Propaganda (in 'Article' Clothing), Has Added Pop-Up or Overlay to All Pages, Saying "813 Partners Will Store and Access Information on Your Device"
Avoiding ZDNet may become imperative given what it has turned into
Julian Assange Verdict 3 Hours Away
Their decision is due to be published at 1030 GMT
People Who Cover Suicide Aren't Suicidal
Assange didn't just "deteriorate". This deterioration was involuntary and very much imposed upon him.
Overworking Kills
The body usually (but not always) knows best
Former Red Hat Chief (CEO), Who Decided to Leave the Company Earlier This Month, Talks About "Cloud Company Red Hat" to CNBC
shows a lack of foresight and dependence on buzzwords
IRC Proceedings: Monday, March 25, 2024
IRC logs for Monday, March 25, 2024
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
Discord Does Not Make Money, It's Spying on People and Selling Data/Control (38% is Allegedly Controlled by the Communist Party of China)
a considerable share exists
In At Least Two Nations Windows is Now Measured at 2% "Market Share" (Microsoft Really Does Not Want People to Notice That)
Ignore the mindless "AI"-washing
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) Still Has Hundreds of Thousands of Simultaneously-Online Unique Users
The scale of IRC