I'm not sure this analogy holds, exactly, for project hosting. Washing isn't inherently collaborative, and the more one looks at the specifics, the more diverg

I'm not sure this analogy holds, exactly, for project hosting. Washing isn't inherently collaborative, and the more one looks at the specifics, the more divergent the situations seem. For example, Git(hub/lab) offer free project hosting while running one's own server would incur costs. This can be a big deal for open source, because paying bills or handling money tends to force a more complex structure on your "organisation". For project hosting, there are network effects in terms of project discoverability, user account management, operational convenience (data durability, patching, ensuring uptime), consistency of interface and third party integration which tend to make using a centralised service more attractive than running your own, all else being equal. It seems to me that only quite bad mismanagement of the major project hosting services could reverse this trend.