Live data from Hacker News

China wants to build an open source ecosystem to rival GitHub

restofworld.org

21–30 of 228 posts

Re: China wants to build an open source ecosystem to rival GitHub

#21

They want to block Github entirely because Github allows for the free flow of information (politically sensitive information, not just code) and they don't have a way of doing currently without just blocking all of Github... Which would be bad for business, and China also seems to be entering the software business in a bigger way. Actually, if you want to send large amounts of text information to users in China right…

This. I can't believe there are people on HN cheering on the CCP for strengthening its censorship. I guess those are the very people that also support it on American soil.

Re: China wants to build an open source ecosystem to rival GitHub

#22

This is weird, considering Mongo changed their licensing because of Chinese cloud providers if I remember correctly. I don't know if people will merely blindly trust a GitHub rival ran by a foreign government as opposed to an organic startup, the only upside is for people in countries that are not allowed on GitHub.

The problem is that this organic startup is now a enterprise behemoth that can be trusted as much as CCP: Microsoft.

I'm as skeptical of corporations as the next person, but I'm not sure Microsoft is comparable to a literal authoritarian regime.

Re: China wants to build an open source ecosystem to rival GitHub

#23
post #4

I can't help but wonder if such an attempt would even work. Unless I am misunderstanding the culture that makes an open source ecosystem work, a free and open exchange of information and ideas is one of those fundamental things. When a thing is broken, sometimes you have to tell an authority the horribly embarrassing fact that the thing is broken. With the CCP controlling all information flows and what is or is not f…

I think this is just following the chain of what's just been happening in China with software. Americas/Europe has Google? We'll make our own that the CCP can control Americas/Europe has Uber? We'll make our own that the CCP can control. Americas/Europe has GitHub? ...You see where this is going.

Those are all US companies. What does Europe have to do with them?

And like it's been noted many times before here, had Europe banned US companies like China had, maybe they would have a stronger software development culture, and they could control their own data instead of handing over everything to the US.

Re: China wants to build an open source ecosystem to rival GitHub

#24

They want to block Github entirely because Github allows for the free flow of information (politically sensitive information, not just code) and they don't have a way of doing currently without just blocking all of Github... Which would be bad for business, and China also seems to be entering the software business in a bigger way. Actually, if you want to send large amounts of text information to users in China right…

This. I can't believe there are people on HN cheering on the CCP for strengthening its censorship. I guess those are the very people that also support it on American soil.

yeah agreed, i don't think they are connecting the dots. they are missing large sections of knowledge that would protect them and the lives of those around them. but for some odd reason they have mental blocks when trying to help them out flawed framework

Re: China wants to build an open source ecosystem to rival GitHub

#25

This is weird, considering Mongo changed their licensing because of Chinese cloud providers if I remember correctly. I don't know if people will merely blindly trust a GitHub rival ran by a foreign government as opposed to an organic startup, the only upside is for people in countries that are not allowed on GitHub.

The problem is that this organic startup is now a enterprise behemoth that can be trusted as much as CCP: Microsoft.

> The problem is that this organic startup is now a enterprise behemoth that can be trusted as much as CCP: Microsoft.

Remind me again when MS killed millions of people and committed genocide? I mean, Windows is horrible, but this is a bit much.

I apologize for the snark (I really don't think it's a good way to communicate) but this is a shockingly bad opinion. Comparing a bad company to a totalitarian regime that routinely abuses human rights cheapens real suffering and numbs people to real tragedy.

Re: China wants to build an open source ecosystem to rival GitHub

#28

Can someone point me to a significant open source effort spearheaded by China? Is Open Source active and embraced among developers in China?

Exactly. Reimplementing GitHub is not building a rival to GitHub. Like Wikipedia the value isn’t in the platform but the content hosted by the platform. Until there is a critical mass of open source software hosted Chinese GitHub provides very little value.

In the west we had a critical mass of open source software and then built GitHub. This is putting the cart before the horse.

Re: China wants to build an open source ecosystem to rival GitHub

#29
post #12
post #4

I can't help but wonder if such an attempt would even work. Unless I am misunderstanding the culture that makes an open source ecosystem work, a free and open exchange of information and ideas is one of those fundamental things. When a thing is broken, sometimes you have to tell an authority the horribly embarrassing fact that the thing is broken. With the CCP controlling all information flows and what is or is not f…

I fear it can work. I think despite our distaste for some of the censorship that will occur when it comes to social control and etc, ultimately the meat of github and open source would be entirely functional within a CCP run context. Bug reports about a particular project? Provide a particular leader isn't embarrassed I don't expect anyone to care. I suspect they'd let the engineers fight it out and only care about t…

I think you're right. There's been this long held belief that you can't create the level of prosperity seen in the U.S. and Europe without having a free(ish) and open society. China is showing everyone that there's another way to do it. I don't know why people keep underestimating China and the CCP.
Post reply on HN