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You're surprised that GitHub allows people to host arbitrary repos?! Do you really prefer that GitHub would go "I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't let you do th
by falcor84 2y ago
You're surprised that GitHub allows people to host arbitrary repos?! Do you really prefer that GitHub would go "I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't let you do that"?
- 3836293648 2y agoGitHub should allow arbitrary files in nhe repo, but all repo should require a licence tag
- dymk 2y agoWhy didn’t you include a copyright license on all your HN comments?
- 3836293648 2y agoBecause I agreed to a TOS that lets HN use my comments and reproduce them. On Github I don't just want to give that permission to github, but to everyone who clones my repo.
- immibis 2y agoI am not HN and I don't know if you think I should be allowed to quote your comments. If you included a copyright license, I'd know.
- roflmaostc 2y agoWhy? There is no legal requirement for a LICENSE https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/managing-your-repositorys-settings-and-features/customizing-your-repository/licensing-a-repository#choosing-the-right-license https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/managing-your-reposi... "You're under no obligation to choose a license. However, without a license, the default copyright laws apply, meaning that you retain all rights to your source code and no one may reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from your work."
- fc417fc802 2y agoBecause that use case feels pretty far from the typical one for a public GitHub repo. Even when it was intended, having reliable metadata indicating that fact would be nice.
- falcor84 2y agoAbsolutely agreed, but there's a vast difference between "would be nice" and "should require". I for one strongly prefer to avoid putting up any additional barriers to sharing, even at the cost of the default value being all rights reserved (which is a sensible default).
- laGrenouille 2y agoI have read the quoted GitHub docs page before and also found it somewhat odd. Not because it shouldn't be allowed to post public code without a LICENSE (or with a restrictive one), but because GitHub has a "Fork" button on every repository. It's strange to me that GitHub has a one-click button that can violate the default terms of code uploaded to the site.
- immibis 2y agoGitHub's terms of use state that by uploading code to the site, you grant people permission to click "Fork".
- 3836293648 2y agoI'm not saying there is. I'm saying there should be. Posting code publicly on github without a licence is entirely pointless
- andrewflnr 2y agoThis is similar to saying that posting code anywhere online is useless. Not everyone is trying to start a collaborative project. Sometimes people just use github to showcase code, because it's a convenient platform.