Ironically, this is all (for now) just documentation stuff. There's
still no free-software 'default place' for that.
Just like for ages, there's been no free-software defaultplace for starting a mailing list... So people use Google Groups.
In both cases, the export tools are quite good, and you can (AFAIR) access them without needing to surrender personal info. But it bothers me at a fundamental level that the FOSS community has no solution to these long-standing problems.
Way back in the day, I had a conversation with some SPI folks about it, and they had contemplated doing something on the mailing-list front, but it evidently never advanced (perhaps for extremely good reasons; running a massive list server can't be cheap or easy).
Just like for ages, there's been no free-software defaultplace for starting a mailing list... So people use Google Groups.
In both cases, the export tools are quite good, and you can (AFAIR) access them without needing to surrender personal info. But it bothers me at a fundamental level that the FOSS community has no solution to these long-standing problems.
Way back in the day, I had a conversation with some SPI folks about it, and they had contemplated doing something on the mailing-list front, but it evidently never advanced (perhaps for extremely good reasons; running a massive list server can't be cheap or easy).
I'm not blaming Github. Like you said, it still behaves like git, without needing an account or anything. And I just realize now that they could change that. Let's hope not.
This thing of "centralizing" in FLOSS is always tricky. We all know that centralizing is better for communication and recognition but worst for freedom and independence. I'm going to call this the "freedom-fighter dilemma". It's a balance I guess. If you ask me for a solution, I'll always say "keep it decentralized". But then, I'm like a sheep and follow the crowd where it goes.
There was once SourceForge. I use to browse it like it was Youtube. Trying to find the next cool open source project. That was pretty centralized to me. But I'm glad Github brought something new. I've tried to have a Gitlab installed on a self-hosted server. But it's a big thing to run. Not really suitable for a handful of projects.
I'm still lurking Usenet for conversations. But it's pretty dead in the corners I'm watching. Or in a language I don't speak.
I'm kind of glad not to use any of the mailing-list of Google Groups. Or almost. I have a lot of faith in http://lurk.org/ I don't want them to be centralized. But I wish them to grow. peacefully and have lots of clones.
For me, the power of FLOSS is in decentralization. What is maybe needed is an easy protocol to gather data from different points. There was once RSS. (Still use it a lot), but somehow it's not suitable for this realtime internet we shifted to. PubHubSubBlahBlah... I never understood it. Then there is the war between the so many xmpp, pump.io, diaspora, Gnu Social protocols that will solve this problem that the number of solution is so ridiculous that I don't even see how we are going to get out of this mess. But I'm praying for peace. What else can I do?
There lately yet another protocol that came up and that gave me hope. But I can't find its name right now. Guess that says it all. :)
This thing of "centralizing" in FLOSS is always tricky. We all know that centralizing is better for communication and recognition but worst for freedom and independence. I'm going to call this the "freedom-fighter dilemma". It's a balance I guess. If you ask me for a solution, I'll always say "keep it decentralized". But then, I'm like a sheep and follow the crowd where it goes.
There was once SourceForge. I use to browse it like it was Youtube. Trying to find the next cool open source project. That was pretty centralized to me. But I'm glad Github brought something new. I've tried to have a Gitlab installed on a self-hosted server. But it's a big thing to run. Not really suitable for a handful of projects.
I'm still lurking Usenet for conversations. But it's pretty dead in the corners I'm watching. Or in a language I don't speak.
I'm kind of glad not to use any of the mailing-list of Google Groups. Or almost. I have a lot of faith in http://lurk.org/ I don't want them to be centralized. But I wish them to grow. peacefully and have lots of clones.
For me, the power of FLOSS is in decentralization. What is maybe needed is an easy protocol to gather data from different points. There was once RSS. (Still use it a lot), but somehow it's not suitable for this realtime internet we shifted to. PubHubSubBlahBlah... I never understood it. Then there is the war between the so many xmpp, pump.io, diaspora, Gnu Social protocols that will solve this problem that the number of solution is so ridiculous that I don't even see how we are going to get out of this mess. But I'm praying for peace. What else can I do?
There lately yet another protocol that came up and that gave me hope. But I can't find its name right now. Guess that says it all. :)