Warning: This is not Open Source Software

[MatthiasWinkelmann]

I believe this project is engaging in a bad-faith effort to pass itself off as being Open Source software with no intention to actually license the code under a FOSS license.

There have been two issues and one PR raised concerning the license situation: #567 #589 #588

The issues were silently closed without comments, and the PR has languished since summer 2017. The project's website contains a rather rambling post mudding the water on Open Source, but basically laying out a plan to create some sort of custom license allowing free personal usage, but not redistribution or commercial use: https://web.archive.org/web/20180130105751/https://wonderunit.com/thoughts-on-free-and-open-source/

Meanwhile, the previous licensing as ISC was rather quietly removed from package.json last year: https://github.com/wonderunit/storyboarder/commit/2a87fa23d

I believe contributors to this project expect their work to benefit Free Software as it's commonly understood. The issue was raised with the project owner multiple times, starting more than half a year ago. At this point, it is obvious that they are unwilling to clarify the situation, and prefer to instead profit from the deception they're creating.

Note that according to Github's Terms of Service, publishing via a public repository already constitutes a license grant that appears to be incompatible with whatever usage restrictions the above-linked blog post is trying to articulate:

If you set your pages and repositories to be viewed publicly, you grant each User of GitHub a nonexclusive, worldwide license to use, display, and perform Your Content through the GitHub Service and to reproduce Your Content solely on GitHub as permitted through GitHub's functionality (for example, through forking).

[setpixel]

Greetings, unhelpful Hacker News user,

Cool photo. I know you're angry, but it's probably because of something else in your life. Like, maybe other children on the playground were mean to you, or you love killing small animals? I actually don't care which one it is.

In any event, It is Open Source Software. The source is publicly viewable. You can see it. You can run it. You can use it.

I'm rather sure you don't make anything yourself. I'm also sure you can't draw anything except conclusions. I don't see how you're being helpful at all here.

Sorry I don't conform to the way you think the world should work. I hope you get through life peacefully. Stay away from AR-15s and don't be following any short Austrians!

<3

[bauerd]

I don't think "Open Source" means what you think it means. Maybe consult a search engine and familiarise yourself with the terms you use?

PS: Do I get a Hitler reference as well? I'm German after all.

[setpixel]

The source is open. As in, stores are open. Maybe try independent thought and familiarize yourself with dissenting opinion.

Hitler what? Congratulations on being German I guess?

You annoy me.

[bauerd]

I'm not in the business of playing word games. Have a great day :-)

[setpixel]

@MatthiasWinkelmann You are a troll.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/d9oy78ha0ui3gj4/Screenshot%202018-03-28%2020.05.23.png?dl=0

You harass me on hacker news and now you are saying I threatened you with physical violence?

While true, that you are currently engaged in the most pedantic, objectively boring nerd fight on the Internet, it's a pretty gigantic leap to construe anything as a threat.

To unpack my point, if you blindly follow senseless ideologies without question, you become complicit in the harm of other people. In this case, the stifling of innovation and creativity of other people. Your band of traveling FOSS trolls, looking for a fights around the internet don't seem much different than American Republicans who blindly defend the ownership of AR-15s or early national socialists. You tow the party line so hard, you don't see the harm you are doing to other people. You are complicit. I'm saying that you should stay away from ideologies because you seem incapable of independent thought.

It is people like you that make people think twice about making new things.

I feel sad for you. Have you never been loved, or felt love for another person? Have you never tried to have empathy for someone else's point of view?

I really hope you have. But then I look at your Twitter profile picture. It seems you are filled with hate.

I hope you find some purpose in your life, and I hope it has nothing to do with me.