3 ms·
His point is that github forces you to execute non-free software on your machine. I just don't think that's really true.
by Iv 8y ago
His point is that github forces you to execute non-free software on your machine. I just don't think that's really true.
- dagenix 8y agoI 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.
- seanhunter 8y agoThey 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.
- parenthephobia 8y agoHis 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.
- reificator 8y agoDoes 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?