Show HN: Codekeeper – Source Code Escrow for Developers
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Re: Show HN: Codekeeper – Source Code Escrow for Developers
#2We created Codekeeper so you can now easily comply with escrow requirements from your enterprise and government clients, and more importantly, to help you close deals with those clients quicker.
Being developers ourselves it’s designed to keep your life easy and works in pair with Github, Bitbucket and the other SCM platforms.
We’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions to make it fit even better inside your development or software business.
Cheers!
Re: Show HN: Codekeeper – Source Code Escrow for Developers
#3We created Codekeeper so you can now easily comply with escrow requirements from your enterprise and government clients, and more importantly, to help you close deals with those clients quicker. Being developers ourselves it’s designed to keep your life easy and works in pair with Github, Bitbucket and the other SCM platforms. We’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions to make it fit even better inside your deve…
How are you guys planning on marketing this, if you don’t mind me asking?
Are you using smart contracts to power this?
Congratulations on shipping this! It looks like a very compelling offering!
Re: Show HN: Codekeeper – Source Code Escrow for Developers
#4Maybe I’m just a dummy but you should probably explain source code escrow as the first topic in your faq. I think I know what it entails but Im making a lot of assumptions...
Re: Show HN: Codekeeper – Source Code Escrow for Developers
#5Source code escrow is a great service, and one that ALL developers who do client contract work should look into. I've been creating bespoke software for business clients for nearly 30 years now as a one man business, and I have a clause in all my development contracts that stipulates should I pass on or my business ceases to exist, that full source code is released to my clients so they can engage another programmer to maintain those projects.
However, I do think the current pricing is quite high when given the expected timeframes that this sort of service can have. For example, I have one client where I have had their software in escrow with a local lawyer now for over 20 years! I believe my lawyer only charged me Mind you, that CD would be totally out of date now, with the incremental changes that I have made to the system over the years, and I have no real guarantee that the CD is in fact still in a safe somewhere as I have not spoken to my lawyer about this in some years.
That's why I think that this Codekeeper service is a good thing, as it always ensures your latest code is available. But the drawback are:
1. Is this service still going to be around in 10+ years? 2. The cost per month is still quite high. Given my project I mentioned above, it would have cost me $11760 to date to have my source code in escrow. If I am going to be around for another 10 years, then that is going to cost me another ~$6000.
I could conceivably pass those costs on to my customers, but then that is another thing I have to track and ensure they are billed etc.
Re: Show HN: Codekeeper – Source Code Escrow for Developers
#6Source code escrow is a great service, and one that ALL developers who do client contract work should look into. I've been creating bespoke software for business clients for nearly 30 years now as a one man business, and I have a clause in all my development contracts that stipulates should I pass on or my business ceases to exist, that full source code is released to my clients so they can engage another programmer…
One of the issues is that responsibility for maintaining the integrity of the code is 100% on the seller's side. Like you said, if you used this service, it would become extremely expensive over the long term. Since the purpose is to give clients value in the case that you're unable to continue providing service, why not give them an encrypted version of the code and make the key the failsafe? There still has to be trust, but then the client gets to choose the cost of maintaining that code snapshot.
Re: Show HN: Codekeeper – Source Code Escrow for Developers
#7Source code escrow is a great service, and one that ALL developers who do client contract work should look into. I've been creating bespoke software for business clients for nearly 30 years now as a one man business, and I have a clause in all my development contracts that stipulates should I pass on or my business ceases to exist, that full source code is released to my clients so they can engage another programmer…
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Re: Show HN: Codekeeper – Source Code Escrow for Developers
#8Too expensive.
Make a source code release and encrypt it. Put it somewhere accessible to the customer, e.g. an S3 bucket owned by them. Arrange for the key to be given to the customer under the terms of the escrow agreement, e.g. send a letter to your lawyer with the terms of release and the key.
I can see value in having someone handle this for me, with a nice UI. It's fundamentally a clerical job, though, with some legal process / responsibility. So $50/month is already a fair amount, to say nothing of $1000.
Re: Show HN: Codekeeper – Source Code Escrow for Developers
#9Source code escrow is a great service, and one that ALL developers who do client contract work should look into. I've been creating bespoke software for business clients for nearly 30 years now as a one man business, and I have a clause in all my development contracts that stipulates should I pass on or my business ceases to exist, that full source code is released to my clients so they can engage another programmer…
You describe exactly one of the scenarios why Codekeeper was made; the situation where a CD in a vault is enough, doesn't work anymore for many web apps under continuous development.
Source code escrow has to be an ongoing process too, which is also why it's differently priced than it was before.
Re: Show HN: Codekeeper – Source Code Escrow for Developers
#10Source code escrow is a great service, and one that ALL developers who do client contract work should look into. I've been creating bespoke software for business clients for nearly 30 years now as a one man business, and I have a clause in all my development contracts that stipulates should I pass on or my business ceases to exist, that full source code is released to my clients so they can engage another programmer…
One of the issues is that responsibility for maintaining the integrity of the code is 100% on the seller's side. Like you said, if you used this service, it would become extremely expensive over the long term. Since the purpose is to give clients value in the case that you're unable to continue providing service, why not give them an encrypted version of the code and make the key the failsafe? There still has to be t…
You are right it's exactly the combination of ongoing snapshots and the need to only provide access when there's a verified release event. We try to provide that balance.
We also do verification, but that's mainly when there is 'less than optimal' trust between the developer and the licensee.