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Do we really want Github regulating links in repos based purely on the moral instincts of random support employees? Seems weird. It's just a link, and not even

Do we really want Github regulating links in repos based purely on the moral instincts of random support employees? Seems weird. It's just a link, and not even to illegal content (AFAIK, I didn't actually follow them).

tryauuum 4y ago
I don't want GitHub regulating links, but I still want them to reserve this power. You have no idea how many links to child porn people start to publish when you have any website with user-generated content
- grumple 4y ago
  Totally. Just takes a tiny number of problem users to cause major problems. In this case maybe it could have been handled better by temporarily blocking that repo instead of the whole account, since it was clearly a legitimate dev doing work on a prominent repo.
- londons_explore 4y ago
  For a while I ran one of those 'online image resize' services. I kept debug logs for 7 days of user uploads (and so the users download link would be valid for the same time). It really amazed me what proportion was porn. Like a good 30% of uploads. How can so many people need their jpeg porn pictures upscaled?!?
- rubyist5eva 4y ago
  Banning and removing links to illegal content: fine Banning and removing links to content you personally find morally objectionable: not fine It's not that complicated.
  - tryauuum 4y ago
    Sounds good, yet real life is more complicated * many governments will call illegal whatever they want. Will you happily enforce governmental censorship? * even if government acts in good faith, there is no good definition of porn. At some point some person will have to look at a picture and *personally* categorize it as porn / not porn (I guess first point doesn't make sense, since it's not a question of preference, you have to comply to at least one government if you want your company to survive)
    - rubyist5eva 4y ago
      As yes the "it's hard so why even bother" argument, tired.
altairprime 4y ago
I’m okay with occasional exercise of that power, in contrast to the unpalatable and constant exercise of that power by other sites.
nightpool 4y ago
The links are (in some cases) to AI generated porn of underage anime characters, which is probably illegal in some jurisdictions.
- Hamuko 4y ago
  Female users without male supervision might also be illegal in some jurisdictions.
hnbad 4y ago
Do we really want GitHub to enforce its terms of service? Yes. Absolutely. If GitLab wants to be the site for projects that link to suspect anime porn, that's their prerogative. But so is GitHub's not to be that site. There are plenty of things that aren't illegal that a site might not want its users to link to. Appeal to legality is not just a red herring, it's also an incredibly weak argument.
- grumple 4y ago
  I disagree. American people and sites oscillate between moralism (generally) and prurience (maybe only on the left), and I'd prefer those that are designed as technical platforms to do less editorializing. Not everyone shares a moral code. Hell, today I don't necessarily have the morals that I had myself yesterday.
  - hnbad 4y ago
    Regardless of how much of an enlightened centrist you may think of yourself, there are behaviors you do or don't want to associate your platform with. GitHub doesn't seem to have a problem with Automatic111's arguably racist Rimworld mods but it does seem to draw the line at linking to repositories containing suspect hentai that may come close to violating the law in some countries GitHub wants to provide its services in. It's a business decision. Making fun of Black people is iffy but clearly not a deal breaker. Linking to pictures that bear a striking similarity to prebuscent (or at least blatantly underage) girls in the context of porn understandbly is.
- stale2002 4y ago
  > Do we really want GitHub to enforce its terms of service? No we don't. That's why people are upset.

tryauuum 4y ago

I don't want GitHub regulating links, but I still want them to reserve this power. You have no idea how many links to child porn people start to publish when you have any website with user-generated content

grumple 4y ago
Totally. Just takes a tiny number of problem users to cause major problems. In this case maybe it could have been handled better by temporarily blocking that repo instead of the whole account, since it was clearly a legitimate dev doing work on a prominent repo.
londons_explore 4y ago
For a while I ran one of those 'online image resize' services. I kept debug logs for 7 days of user uploads (and so the users download link would be valid for the same time). It really amazed me what proportion was porn. Like a good 30% of uploads. How can so many people need their jpeg porn pictures upscaled?!?
rubyist5eva 4y ago
Banning and removing links to illegal content: fine Banning and removing links to content you personally find morally objectionable: not fine It's not that complicated.
- tryauuum 4y ago
  Sounds good, yet real life is more complicated * many governments will call illegal whatever they want. Will you happily enforce governmental censorship? * even if government acts in good faith, there is no good definition of porn. At some point some person will have to look at a picture and *personally* categorize it as porn / not porn (I guess first point doesn't make sense, since it's not a question of preference, you have to comply to at least one government if you want your company to survive)
  - rubyist5eva 4y ago
    As yes the "it's hard so why even bother" argument, tired.

altairprime 4y ago

I’m okay with occasional exercise of that power, in contrast to the unpalatable and constant exercise of that power by other sites.

nightpool 4y ago

The links are (in some cases) to AI generated porn of underage anime characters, which is probably illegal in some jurisdictions.

Hamuko 4y ago
Female users without male supervision might also be illegal in some jurisdictions.

hnbad 4y ago

Do we really want GitHub to enforce its terms of service? Yes. Absolutely. If GitLab wants to be the site for projects that link to suspect anime porn, that's their prerogative. But so is GitHub's not to be that site. There are plenty of things that aren't illegal that a site might not want its users to link to. Appeal to legality is not just a red herring, it's also an incredibly weak argument.

grumple 4y ago
I disagree. American people and sites oscillate between moralism (generally) and prurience (maybe only on the left), and I'd prefer those that are designed as technical platforms to do less editorializing. Not everyone shares a moral code. Hell, today I don't necessarily have the morals that I had myself yesterday.
- hnbad 4y ago
  Regardless of how much of an enlightened centrist you may think of yourself, there are behaviors you do or don't want to associate your platform with. GitHub doesn't seem to have a problem with Automatic111's arguably racist Rimworld mods but it does seem to draw the line at linking to repositories containing suspect hentai that may come close to violating the law in some countries GitHub wants to provide its services in. It's a business decision. Making fun of Black people is iffy but clearly not a deal breaker. Linking to pictures that bear a striking similarity to prebuscent (or at least blatantly underage) girls in the context of porn understandbly is.
stale2002 4y ago
> Do we really want GitHub to enforce its terms of service? No we don't. That's why people are upset.