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Replit used legal threats to kill my open-source project

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Re: Replit used legal threats to kill my open-source project

#871

Post by fuzzfactor »

teraflop wrote: post #391
samatman wrote: post #313

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This doesn't look to me like one of those cases where new information is going to come to light. Nor do I want to commit the fundamental attribution error, like 80% of this thread. Even though there are a few other people offering personal experiences of Amjad rubbing them the wrong way. That tends to happen in a thread of this character. Here's my best guess: your friend had a bad day and fucked up. Then he doubled…

> I think a simple apology and some self reflection would go a long way here. The CEO is continuing to double down today, more than 2 months after the original conversation, so I'm not sure that's likely: https://twitter.com/amasad/status/1401957368510906369

I don't have a dog in this hunt but it's plain to see in black & white where Radon says:

"I'm not a business person."

Radon only needs to say it once, it's straight and to the point.

Now at Replit, Amjad is claiming not to be a business person either.

Over and over again.

Re: Replit used legal threats to kill my open-source project

#872

Post by Bellamy »

yellow_lead wrote: post #3

A fancy funded company like Replit getting scared by an intern's weekend project is entertaining. If your moat is so low it can be replicated in a few days, I think this open source project is the least of their worries.

Exactly my thoughts. CEO knows anyone could replicate the project.

I even go so far to say that the CEO doesn't want his secret to out that he is not that great programmer after all. He just took someone else's idea and build a company around it.

Re: Replit used legal threats to kill my open-source project

#874

Post by bschwindHN »

How many different teams/companies/individuals have made some sort of "run this code in a sandbox and stream it to a browser" type tools? I personally made one at my previous job in a few weeks, Replit exists, there's the Rust Playground, and probably countless others.

It's just not that hard of a problem to solve, and not that special. Docker and Linux containers in general are the real innovation that has made it so easy to implement these types of services.

Really pathetic on Replit's part to feel threatened and go after a weekend project like this.

Re: Replit used legal threats to kill my open-source project

#875

Post by [deleted] »

amasad wrote: post #682
tommoor wrote: post #634

> we’re also excited to announce one of the first (of many!) projects that Amjad has worked on with us: Codecademy Labs, the easiest way to play with JavaScript, Ruby, and Python online I'll just leave this here so we can all bask in the insane hypocrisy of this entire episode. https://www.codecademy.com/resources/blog/amjad-joins-codeca... Edit: See Amjad's response below – seems Repl.it may have pre-dated this hiri…

That was a clone of Replit that we made work at Codecademy. I started working on Replit (or repl.it) back when I was a student in Jordan. I didn't have a laptop so every time I wanted to get some programming done I had to setup a development environment at the university or at work. The idea for Replit was when you needed a repl to do some coding you should easily get one from anywhere including a mobile device. I th…

[deleted]

Re: Replit used legal threats to kill my open-source project

#876

Post by Bellamy »

mitko wrote: post #294
yellow_lead wrote: post #3

A fancy funded company like Replit getting scared by an intern's weekend project is entertaining. If your moat is so low it can be replicated in a few days, I think this open source project is the least of their worries.

I wouldn't underestimate the potential of that project. I know of other cases where well funded CEOs have tried bullying away someone who recently worked for them from starting a company in a related space. Glad that they weren't able to shut it down, and the new founder has raised a nice round. I'd love to see Radon succeed with his project. IANAL but I don't think you can patent "path depencence". It is sunk cost

If you can maybe they would have done it already. But they haven't so we can all use it.

Re: Replit used legal threats to kill my open-source project

#877

Post by praptak »

rurabe wrote: post #781
tommoor wrote: post #634

> we’re also excited to announce one of the first (of many!) projects that Amjad has worked on with us: Codecademy Labs, the easiest way to play with JavaScript, Ruby, and Python online I'll just leave this here so we can all bask in the insane hypocrisy of this entire episode. https://www.codecademy.com/resources/blog/amjad-joins-codeca... Edit: See Amjad's response below – seems Repl.it may have pre-dated this hiri…

pretty weird/low class move to build a free clone of the product you just worked on. pretty petty decision to threaten to sue your former intern for his weird move. also, threatening someone with money is a pretty surefire way to look like an asshole. similarly petty decision to spend hours documenting everything to post on HN and start throwing mud in public. everyone seems well within their legal rights but ethical…

Even if we agree there's symmetry in behavior (which is a big 'if'), one of the actors is an intern and the second one has millions in funding. The latter has thus much more potential to do harm.

Re: Replit used legal threats to kill my open-source project

#878

Post by scambier »

amasad wrote: post #757

Hey everyone, I want to apologize for the inappropriate use of power here. While I do believe there is an ethical line that was crossed here, I should have called him to understand his point of view and work it out. Which is what I'll try to do now, and see if we can get his project back up again. I'm sorry Radon. The lesson for me here is to internalize how I'm no longer the struggling kid from Jordan fighting for m…

How nice of you to give Radon "permission" to publish his site. You're so generous.

Re: Replit used legal threats to kill my open-source project

#879

Post by kgeist »

hellbannedguy wrote: post #620

Hopefully a Russian is reading this right now, and cloning Replit bit by bit. (Don't like bullies, especially new money guys.) Never thought I would have to say that as an American, but it seems like wealthy plaintiffs win too often, and it's not worth the risk? Hell--this jerk sounds like he might threaten you next with a Libel lawsuit. Think about deleting this post? If they do sue, and win you have a judgment agai…

>Hopefully a Russian is reading this right now, and cloning Replit bit by bit.

I'm taking notes

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