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What if collaboration on opensource projects (i.e. hosting, issues and their comments) was decentralized instead of relying on a central entity like Github? Tha

What if collaboration on opensource projects (i.e. hosting, issues and their comments) was decentralized instead of relying on a central entity like Github? That would keep the developer base active and make DMCA takedowns ineffective.

jaspergilley 6y ago
In light of this DMCA, this seems like a site that needs to exist...but I don't know of one? Seems like as trivial a build as anything cryptographic actually
- paina 6y ago
  Yes, we do need this. I feel that the first step would be to move ytdl to a self hosted repository. But even this has the potential for takedowns.
  - actuator 6y ago
    If we rename it and add some open license video as an example instead of music videos, can they still ask for a takedown?
    - godshatter 6y ago
      They should rename it to open-license-content-dl, paste warnings all over the readme about how it should NOT be used to download copyrighted content, post it to github, and see what happens.
    - weaksauce 6y ago
      they could create a youtube channel and upload some test/example videos to that
    - cogburnd02 6y ago
      > some open license video Perhaps 'Copying Is Not Theft'[1]? https://youtu.be/IeTybKL1pM4 https://youtu.be/IeTybKL1pM4
- drKarl 6y ago
  Well, there's git over SSB (Secure Scuttlebutt) and got over IPF (Interplanetary Filesystem)... That should be distributed uncensorable git...
deepender99 6y ago
keybase.io provide decentralized crypto solution, it's better to open source community to move on to such crypto soluion
- anoraca 6y ago
  They got bought by Zoom. Hard pass.
- rvense 6y ago
  Keybase is extremely centralized, and they were bought by Zoom a few months ago. Stop using Keybase.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- dmos62 6y ago
  I too thought of this, but keybase is bulky, software-wise. I'm not a fan of having to run its service just to access public git repos.
DennisP 6y ago
Since git is already decentralized, this definitely seems doable.
- ttkciar 6y ago
  My thought exactly. It even incorporates functionality for turning any local git repo into a shared git repo. Mainly what they need besides that is a place to co-ordinate, collaborate and track tickets. Solutions abound. The RIAA's actions are annoying but won't kill the project.
KhoomeiK 6y ago
Git-on-the-Blockchain?
- mdaniel 6y ago
  https://github.com/cryptix/git-remote-ipfs#readme https://github.com/cryptix/git-remote-ipfs#readme is pretty close, I think
rozab 6y ago
Git seems like a great candidate for hosting through TOR; it's super low bandwidth. I often find myself wondering why DMCA'd fan projects don't just switch to anonymous TOR hosting. Obviously it's not bulletproof, but if it's just copyright holders you have to worry about and not state actors then it seems like a great solution.
- junon 6y ago
  > a great candidate Not just a candidate. Torsocks + Git works perfectly. There's no mainstream free Tor Git hosting I know of, so that's a market ripe for picking.
- pmoriarty 6y ago
  Sure, youtube-dl could be hosted on TOR, but how many of its users will follow it to TOR? The RIAA would score a great victory if it could essentially force youtube-dl development to go underground.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
PopeRigby 6y ago
Check out Radicle https://radicle.xyz/ https://radicle.xyz/
mr_toad 6y ago
> What if collaboration on opensource projects (i.e. hosting, issues and their comments) was decentralized instead of relying on a central entity like Github? That would keep the developer base active and make DMCA takedowns ineffective. But decentralisation would also make it harder to verify the code is legitimate. Would you trust a copy of something like this from an anonymous server?
- gitgud 6y ago
  Well, git commits can be signed by they're authors, verifying authenticity. This would prove if malicious commits have been added to a mirrored repository.
- f1refly 6y ago
  If only a cryptographic tool was integrated into git so developers could sign their commits. Man, that'd sure be a neat thing for cases like this where you can't trust the remote. Why hasn't anyone though of this before?

jaspergilley 6y ago

In light of this DMCA, this seems like a site that needs to exist...but I don't know of one? Seems like as trivial a build as anything cryptographic actually

paina 6y ago
Yes, we do need this. I feel that the first step would be to move ytdl to a self hosted repository. But even this has the potential for takedowns.
- actuator 6y ago
  If we rename it and add some open license video as an example instead of music videos, can they still ask for a takedown?
  - godshatter 6y ago
    They should rename it to open-license-content-dl, paste warnings all over the readme about how it should NOT be used to download copyrighted content, post it to github, and see what happens.
  - weaksauce 6y ago
    they could create a youtube channel and upload some test/example videos to that
  - cogburnd02 6y ago
    > some open license video Perhaps 'Copying Is Not Theft'[1]? https://youtu.be/IeTybKL1pM4 https://youtu.be/IeTybKL1pM4
drKarl 6y ago
Well, there's git over SSB (Secure Scuttlebutt) and got over IPF (Interplanetary Filesystem)... That should be distributed uncensorable git...

deepender99 6y ago

keybase.io provide decentralized crypto solution, it's better to open source community to move on to such crypto soluion

anoraca 6y ago
They got bought by Zoom. Hard pass.
rvense 6y ago
Keybase is extremely centralized, and they were bought by Zoom a few months ago. Stop using Keybase.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
dmos62 6y ago
I too thought of this, but keybase is bulky, software-wise. I'm not a fan of having to run its service just to access public git repos.

DennisP 6y ago

Since git is already decentralized, this definitely seems doable.

ttkciar 6y ago
My thought exactly. It even incorporates functionality for turning any local git repo into a shared git repo. Mainly what they need besides that is a place to co-ordinate, collaborate and track tickets. Solutions abound. The RIAA's actions are annoying but won't kill the project.

KhoomeiK 6y ago

Git-on-the-Blockchain?

mdaniel 6y ago
https://github.com/cryptix/git-remote-ipfs#readme https://github.com/cryptix/git-remote-ipfs#readme is pretty close, I think

rozab 6y ago

Git seems like a great candidate for hosting through TOR; it's super low bandwidth. I often find myself wondering why DMCA'd fan projects don't just switch to anonymous TOR hosting. Obviously it's not bulletproof, but if it's just copyright holders you have to worry about and not state actors then it seems like a great solution.

junon 6y ago
> a great candidate Not just a candidate. Torsocks + Git works perfectly. There's no mainstream free Tor Git hosting I know of, so that's a market ripe for picking.
pmoriarty 6y ago
Sure, youtube-dl could be hosted on TOR, but how many of its users will follow it to TOR? The RIAA would score a great victory if it could essentially force youtube-dl development to go underground.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

PopeRigby 6y ago

Check out Radicle https://radicle.xyz/ https://radicle.xyz/

mr_toad 6y ago

> What if collaboration on opensource projects (i.e. hosting, issues and their comments) was decentralized instead of relying on a central entity like Github? That would keep the developer base active and make DMCA takedowns ineffective. But decentralisation would also make it harder to verify the code is legitimate. Would you trust a copy of something like this from an anonymous server?

gitgud 6y ago
Well, git commits can be signed by they're authors, verifying authenticity. This would prove if malicious commits have been added to a mirrored repository.
f1refly 6y ago
If only a cryptographic tool was integrated into git so developers could sign their commits. Man, that'd sure be a neat thing for cases like this where you can't trust the remote. Why hasn't anyone though of this before?