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No, I don't think it's about blocking Github. Many of their tech companies are using open source. For China it's safer to have a Chinese Github ecosystem. Just
by stunt 6y ago
No, I don't think it's about blocking Github. Many of their tech companies are using open source.
For China it's safer to have a Chinese Github ecosystem. Just imagine if Github suddenly decide to block Chinese users like they did for Iranian users.
It's also strategic for their government and some critical private sector to not put their source code on an American platform. So there are enough incentives especially after everything that happened to Huawei.
- hungryhobo 6y agothis is the correct answer. I think this is China's response after seeing Huawei getting blocked from using Google Services. Github is still owned by an american company and it has shown that it needs to comply with whatever foreign policy that washington enacts. It's reasonable want to have a contingency plan that would allow the Chinese domestic software industry to continue to function when things turn sour between the two powers.
- PakG1 6y agoThat being said, Github is now owned by Microsoft and Microsoft has a very strong relationship with the Chinese government such that they provided a custom version of Windows 10 for them. https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/21/14998644/microsoft-windows-10-china-custom-version https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/21/14998644/microsoft-window... But I see your point.
- whatshisface 6y agoThe USG steamrolls the interests of US companies without a second thought, whenever sanctions are implemented. It doesn't matter how badly Microsoft wants to trade with China, they can't stop sanctions.
- idrios 6y agoI'm pretty sure it's also about being able to ban Github. China banned it once before in 2013 but had to unban it when developers complained that the ban interfered with their work https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_of_GitHub#China https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_of_GitHub#China
- tdeck 6y agoChina already DDoSed GitHub for political reasons in 2015. It doesn't take much imagination to see the aim here. E.g. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/04/ddos-attacks-that-crippled-github-linked-to-great-firewall-of-china/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/04/ddos-...
- throwaway189262 6y agoThey've also blocked github in the past
- yonisto 6y agoSure. And they also don't let Google (since 2010) to operate in China for the exact same reason.
- dragonsngoblins 6y ago> Just imagine if Github suddenly decide to block Chinese users like they did for Iranian users Wait I thought India blocked github, not that github blocked India. Or has there been a whole thing I've missed?
- justinclift 6y agoGuessing you misread that? It was "Iran", not "India". ;)
- dragonsngoblins 6y agoOh. I'm an idiot
- pentae 6y agoYes, because there's no precedent of China blocking services for reasons of censorship and top down control whatsoever.
- anthony_barker 6y agogithub = microsoft = it will be changed to work within the china system