Update GitUpGitHub page with current information.
There are a few minor wording edits and the like here, but the main changes are to add new information about the Microsoft integration of CoPilot into all operations of GitHub, and Microsoft's move to put GitHub under their CoreAI division. I also removed the “We'll add more later” text, as we may not have time to do it, and we can always add more when we like and promote it separately.
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@ -15,26 +15,25 @@ GitHub</strong>. </p>
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</div>
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</div>
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<p>We realize this is not an easy task; GitHub is ubiquitous. Through their
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<p>We realize this is not an easy task; GitHub is ubiquitous. Through their
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effective marketing, GitHub has convinced Free and Open Source Software
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effective marketing, GitHub has convinced Free and Open Source Software
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(FOSS) developers that GitHub is the best (and even the only) place for FOSS
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(<abbr>FOSS</abbr>) developers that GitHub is the best (and even the only) place for FOSS
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development. However, as a proprietary, trade-secret tool, GitHub itself is
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development. However, as a proprietary, trade-secret tool, GitHub itself is
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the very opposite of FOSS. By contrast, Git was
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the very opposite of FOSS. By contrast, Git was
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designed <a href="http://www.h-online.com/open/features/The-saga-of-Git-Lightning-does-strike-twice-1051559.html">specifically
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designed <a href="http://www.h-online.com/open/features/The-saga-of-Git-Lightning-does-strike-twice-1051559.html">specifically
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to replace a proprietary tool (BitKeeper)</a>, and to make FOSS development
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to replace a proprietary tool (BitKeeper)</a>, and to make FOSS development
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distributed — using FOSS tools and without a centralized site. GitHub
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distributed — using FOSS tools and without a centralized site. GitHub
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has warped Git — creating add-on features that turn a distributed,
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has distorted Git — creating add-on features that turn a distributed,
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egalitarian, and FOSS system into a centralized, proprietary site. And, all
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egalitarian, and FOSS system into a centralized, proprietary site. And, all
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those add-on features are controlled by a single, for-profit company. By
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those add-on features are controlled by a single, for-profit company — Microsoft. By
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staying on GitHub, established FOSS communities bring newcomers to this
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staying on GitHub, established FOSS communities bring newcomers to this
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proprietary platform — expanding GitHub's reach. and limiting the
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proprietary platform — expanding GitHub's reach. and limiting the
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imaginations of the next generation of FOSS developers.</p>
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imaginations of the next generation of FOSS developers.</p>
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<p>We know that many rely on GitHub every day. Giving up a ubiquitous,
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<p>We know that many rely on GitHub every day. Giving up a ubiquitous,
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gratis service that has useful (albeit proprietary) features is perennially
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gratis service that has useful (albeit proprietary) features remains perennially
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difficult. For software developers, giving up GitHub will be even harder
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difficult. For software developers, giving up GitHub will be even harder
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than giving up Facebook! We don't blame anyone who struggles, but hope you
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than giving up Facebook and Twitter/X! We don't blame anyone who struggles, but hope you
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will read the reasons and methods below to give up GitHub and join us in
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will read the reasons and methods below to give up GitHub and join us in
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seeking better alternatives! Also, please check back to this page regularly,
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seeking better alternatives!</p>
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as we'll continue to update it throughout 2022 and beyond!</p>
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<h2>Why Give Up GitHub?</h2>
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<h2>Why Give Up GitHub?</h2>
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@ -42,33 +41,52 @@ as we'll continue to update it throughout 2022 and beyond!</p>
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the most important ones:
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the most important ones:
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<ul>
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<ul>
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<li><p><a href="https://github.com/features/copilot" rel="nofollow">Copilot
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<li><p>Microsoft has escalated the incorporation of its for-profit
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is a for-profit product</a> — developed and marketed by Microsoft
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<a href="https://github.com/features/copilot" rel="nofollow">Copilot
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and their GitHub subsidiary — that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI)
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product</a>. The CoPilot bannernow incorporates many different, proprietary,
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techniques to automatically generate code interactively for developers.
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so-called “Artificial Intelligence” (<abbr>AI</abbr>)
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The AI model was trained
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products. However, the first CoPilot product was designed
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to automatically generate code interactively for developers, and that
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feature is still pushed on GitHub users.
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CoPilot's AI model was trained
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(<a href="https://github.blog/2021-06-30-github-copilot-research-recitation/"
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(<a href="https://github.blog/2021-06-30-github-copilot-research-recitation/"
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rel="nofollow">according to GitHub's own statements</a>) exclusively with
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rel="nofollow">according to GitHub's own statements</a>) exclusively with
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projects that were hosted on GitHub, including many licensed
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projects that were hosted on GitHub, including many licensed
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under <a href="https://sfconservancy.org/copyleft-compliance/glossary.html#copyleft">copyleft</a>
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under <a href="https://sfconservancy.org/copyleft-compliance/glossary.html#copyleft">copyleft</a>
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licenses. Most of those projects are not in the “public
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licenses. (Microsoft even admits that there was one document that they
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encountered (and ignored) <q>a whopping 700,000 different times during
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training &mdash: … the GNU General Public License</q>.</p>
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<p>Most of those projects are not in the “public
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domain”, they are licensed
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domain”, they are licensed
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under <a href="https://opensource.org/licenses"><acronym title="Free and
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under <a href="https://opensource.org/licenses"><acronym title="Free and Open Source Software">FOSS</acronym> licenses</a>. These licenses
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Open Source Software">FOSS</acronym> licenses</a>. These licenses
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have <em>requirements</em> including proper author attribution and, in
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have <em>requirements</em> including proper author attribution and, in
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the case of <a href="https://copyleft.org/"><em>copyleft</em>
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the case of <a href="https://copyleft.org/"><em>copyleft</em>
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licenses</a>, they sometimes require that works based on and/or that
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licenses</a>, they sometimes require that works based on and/or that
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incorporate the software be licensed under the same copyleft license as
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incorporate the software be licensed under the same copyleft license as
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the prior work. Microsoft and GitHub have been ignoring these license
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the prior work. Microsoft and GitHub have been ignoring these license
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requirements for more than a year. Their only defense of these
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requirements for more than a year. Their only defense of these
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actions <a href="https://twitter.com/natfriedman/status/1409914420579344385">was
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actions <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210709181805/https://twitter.com/natfriedman/status/1409914420579344385">was
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a tweet by their former CEO</a>, in which he falsely claims that
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a still-unretracted statement by their former CEO</a>, in which he falsely claims that
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unsettled law on this topic is actually settled. In addition to the legal
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unsettled law on this topic is actually settled. In addition to the legal
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issues,
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issues,
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the <a href="https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2022/feb/03/github-copilot-copyleft-gpl/">ethical
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the <a href="https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2022/feb/03/github-copilot-copyleft-gpl/">ethical
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implications of GitHub's choice to use copylefted code</a> in the service
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implications of GitHub's choice to use copylefted code</a> in the service
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of creating proprietary software are grave.</p> </li>
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of creating proprietary software are grave.</p> </li>
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<li>Along with the crescendo of “AI” ballyhoo, Microsoft has rolled out more
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products that include these technologies into GitHub. Microsoft's CoPilot
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is <a href="https://mastodon.social/@glyph/114995950245874315">now
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generating issues and pull requests and GitHub users <strong>cannot opt
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out</strong>. This users is unconscionable and is reason enough alone
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to <cite>Give Up GitHub</cite>. Microsoft shamelessly promotes this
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force-feeding of these dubious technologies to all GitHub users; so much so
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that
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Microsoft <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/github-will-join-microsofts-coreai-group-with-departure-of-ceo-thomas-dohmke/">fully
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incorporated GitHub to be a mere division of its “CoreAI”
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division. GitHub users and their work are merely willingly offered input
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to that division's work!</li>
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<li id="ICE-contract-details"><p>In 2020, the community discovered that
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<li id="ICE-contract-details"><p>In 2020, the community discovered that
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GitHub <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/01/ice-contract-github-sparks-developer-protests/604339/">has
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GitHub <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/01/ice-contract-github-sparks-developer-protests/604339/">has
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a for-profit software services contract with the USA Immigration and Customs
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a for-profit software services contract with the USA Immigration and Customs
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@ -87,7 +105,7 @@ problematic. Regardless of your views on ICE and its behavior, GitHub's
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employees to sometimes contribute FOSS to upstream projects, but our
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employees to sometimes contribute FOSS to upstream projects, but our
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community has been burned so many times before by companies that claim to
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community has been burned so many times before by companies that claim to
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support FOSS, while actively convincing the community to rely on their
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support FOSS, while actively convincing the community to rely on their
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proprietary software. We won't let GitHub burn us in this same way!</p></li>
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proprietary software. We shouldn't let GitHub burn us in this same way!</p></li>
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<li><p>GitHub differs from most of its peers in the FOSS project hosting
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<li><p>GitHub differs from most of its peers in the FOSS project hosting
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industry, as GitHub does not even offer any self-hosting FOSS option.
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industry, as GitHub does not even offer any self-hosting FOSS option.
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@ -107,9 +125,13 @@ keynote on attacking copyleft and the GPL</a>. This trickled down from the
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top. We've personally observed various GitHub employees over the years
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top. We've personally observed various GitHub employees over the years
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arguing in many venues to convince projects to avoid copyleft;
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arguing in many venues to convince projects to avoid copyleft;
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we've <a href="https://github.com/BenKallos/legislation/issues/2#issue-46911010">even
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we've <a href="https://github.com/BenKallos/legislation/issues/2#issue-46911010">even
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seen a GitHub employee do this in a GitHub bug ticket directly</a>.</p></li>
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seen a GitHub employee do this in a GitHub bug ticket directly</a>.</p>
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<li><p>GitHub is wholly owned by Microsoft, a company whose executives have historically repeatedly attacked copyleft licensing.</p></li>
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</li>
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<li><p>GitHub is now fully part of Microsoft — a company whose
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executives have historically repeatedly attacked copyleft licensing
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— ongoing regularly since 2001.</p></li>
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</ul>
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</ul>
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<h2>How Do I Give Up GitHub?</h2>
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<h2>How Do I Give Up GitHub?</h2>
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@ -153,7 +175,7 @@ rather than GitHub. If you're an individual contributor who feels powerless
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to leave GitHub, read our (growing) list of recommendations below on how to
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to leave GitHub, read our (growing) list of recommendations below on how to
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take the first steps.</p>
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take the first steps.</p>
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<p>Long term, we'll develop this stable URL (that can always be reached
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<p>Long term, we've been maintaining this stable URL (that can always be reached
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by <a href="https://GiveUpGitHub.org">GiveUpGitHub.org</a>) to include links
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by <a href="https://GiveUpGitHub.org">GiveUpGitHub.org</a>) to include links
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to resources to help everyone — from the most privileged developer to
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to resources to help everyone — from the most privileged developer to
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newcomers and members of underrepresented groups in FOSS — to give up
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newcomers and members of underrepresented groups in FOSS — to give up
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@ -179,6 +201,13 @@ list regularly as we find more resources. If you'd like to suggest a
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resource not yet listed, you can discuss it on
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resource not yet listed, you can discuss it on
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the <a href="https://lists.sfconservancy.org/mailman/listinfo/give-up-github">Give-Up-GitHub
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the <a href="https://lists.sfconservancy.org/mailman/listinfo/give-up-github">Give-Up-GitHub
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mailing list</a>.</p>
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mailing list</a>.</p>
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<p>Our primary recommendation at this time for self-hosting
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is <a href="https://forgejo.org/">Forgejo</a>, and if you would like a
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hosted service, we recommend <a href="https://codeberg.org">CodeBerg</a>
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(which is built on Forgejo). Below we include a list of various options
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for both third-party hosting and self-hosting:</p>
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<ul>
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<ul>
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<li>Alternative Hosting Services:
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<li>Alternative Hosting Services:
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<ul>
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<ul>
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@ -186,21 +215,31 @@ the <a href="https://lists.sfconservancy.org/mailman/listinfo/give-up-github">Gi
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<li><a href="https://sourcehut.org/">SourceHut</a></li>
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<li><a href="https://sourcehut.org/">SourceHut</a></li>
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</ul>
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</ul>
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<li>Self-Host (or join a group that self-hosts). A few options:
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<li>Self-Host (or join a group that self-hosts). A few options:
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<ul><li><a href="https://gitea.io">Gitea</a></li>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="https://forgejo.org">Forgejo</a></li>
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<li><a href="https://gitea.io">Gitea</a></li>
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<li> <a href="https://gitlab.com/rluna-gitlab/gitlab-ce">GitLab
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<li> <a href="https://gitlab.com/rluna-gitlab/gitlab-ce">GitLab
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Community Edition</a> (note, the GitLab Enterprise Edition, which is
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Community Edition</a> (note, the GitLab Enterprise Edition, which is
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provided to the public on gitlab.com, is (like GitHub) trade-secret,
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provided to the public on gitlab.com, is (like GitHub) trade-secret,
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proprietary, vendor-lock-in software)</li>
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proprietary, vendor-lock-in software)</li>
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<li><a href="https://sr.ht/~sircmpwn/sourcehut/">SourceHut</a></li>
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<li><a href="https://sr.ht/~sircmpwn/sourcehut/">SourceHut</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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</ul></li>
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(We'll be adding tutorials soon on how to self-host!)
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</ul></p>
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</ul></p>
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<h2>Ways To Help Even <em>Before</em> You Give Up GitHub</h2>
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<h2>Ways To Help Even <em>Before</em> You Give Up GitHub</h2>
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<p>Here are some ideas of how you can help raise the importance of this issue
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<p>First of all, please promote our campaign by sharing
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even while you're still a GitHub user. (We'll publish longer tutorials in
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the <a href="https://giveupgithub.org"><strong>GiveUpGitHub.org</strong></a>
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future about these and other ways to help.)
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URL widely, along with
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the <a href="https://sfconservancy.org/img/GiveUpGitHub.svg">GiveUpGitHub
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logo</a> on public platforms like
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the <a href="https://fedi.copyleft.org/@bkuhn/115011409937801978">fediverse
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/ Mastodon</a>.</p>
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<p>Second, you can also raise the importance of this issue
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even while you're still <em>using</em> GitHub.
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<ul>
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<ul>
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<li><p><a href="https://sfconservancy.org/docs/SupportGiveUpGitHub-README-snippet.md">Add
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<li><p><a href="https://sfconservancy.org/docs/SupportGiveUpGitHub-README-snippet.md">Add
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this section to your README.md</a> to share your concerns about GitHub
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this section to your README.md</a> to share your concerns about GitHub
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