Re: Access to SourceForge, and Open Source issues

Hello Mansour,

Just a naive question: are you 100% sure that the limitation comes from SourceForge themselves, and not from your Syrian Internet Access Provider ? I don't know about Syria, but for sure some countries have limitations about internet browsing.

I also wanted to mention that it seems that GNA is hosted in France (see http://about.gna.org/) or at least administrated by FSF France --- I don't know if there are any limitations there. 

Anyhow, I don't think that the place where the forge is hosted makes a big difference: if some country A makes any legal restriction on the export of some technology B, then any citizen of country A ignoring that regulation, and making that export against that regulation, does this at his/her own perils. There is a difference between what you *can* do (technically) and what you are *allowed to* do (legally). So, without going into any politics, I suggest that the 1st step before doing any change in the configuration or hosting or whatever in the JDEE project should be to check what technologies are subject to export control by the US standards, and whether JDEE is within the scope of that regulation --- I personnally doubt that JDEE is within this scope, as usually only technologies connected with weaponry, parallel processors, and ciphering are concerned. Then only, the second step should be to grant wider access by the means suggested by Mansour --- ie SF project configuration of export control.

  VBR,
     Vincent.

> Date: Tue, 8 Jun 2010 19:06:07 +0300
> From: [email protected]
> To: [email protected]
> CC: [email protected]; [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [jdee-users] Access to SourceForge, and Open Source issues
> 
> Hello Paul:
> I am not expecting anyone to be engage in politics, in fact what I am
> expecting is totally the opposite. I am expecting to keep the politic
> away
> from open source, and not to let anyone controll it. I said:
> 
> "if I was an open source developer, I am morally obligated to take some
> action to make sure
> this software is available for everyone without discrimination. "
> 
> However, I found that source forge gave the option to the projects admin
> to contol the export. Please read this:
> 
> http://sourceforge.net/blog/some-good-news-SourceForge-removes-blanket-blocking/
> 
> I would suggest using this functionality, to save time and efforts.
> 
> Thank you all.
> 
> On Sun Jun 06,2010 02:45 pm, Paul Landes wrote:
> > Looks like SF doesn't have much of a choice--this is an issue with
> > the US foreign policy, not FS:
> > 
> >   http://sourceforge.net/blog/clarifying-sourceforgenets-denial-of-site-access-for-certain-persons-in-accordance-with-us-law/
> > 
> > I disagree that it's a any developer's obligation to engage in
> > politics of this sort even though I agree it should be available to
> > everyone per the OSI language and ethos.  I imagine if SF stuck to
> > their guns and kept it open they'd eventually be shut down like
> > everyone else who would allow downloads from US soil.
> > 
> > I'd be willing to look at other sites that offer free hosting of the
> > project but I wouldn't want any impact to the project itself.
> > 
> > Do you recommend any others that don't have this policy?  Can we
> > start mirroring?
> > 
> > I really don't much about the details of the distribution side of
> > things.  Do others?
> > 
> > 
> > On Jun 4, 2010, at 10:54 PM, Mansour Al Akeel wrote:
> > 
> > >Hello All:
> > >
> > >During my visit to Syria, I needed to download JDEE. I was
> > >surprised to
> > >find out that SourceForge is controlling the distribution of
> > >opensource
> > >projects by banning specific countries from accessing their contents.
> > >After googling, I found these links:
> > >
> > >http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/25/sourceforge-blocks-iran-north-korea-syria-sudan-and-cuba/
> > >
> > >http://arabcrunch.com/2010/01/following-clintons-internet-freedom-speech-us-based-sourceforge-blocked-syria-sudan-iran-korea-cuba-is-open-source-still-really-open.html
> > >
> > >I understand this is not the best issue to be raised on a public
> > >user help mailing list, however, if I was an open source
> > >developer, I am morally obligated to take some action to make sure
> > >this software is available for everyone without discrimination. IT
> > >professionals who develop, report bugs, use, help or document, are
> > >contributors as well and they have the same rights to this
> > >software like everybody else.
> > >SourceForge and googlecode are violating the terms of open source.
> > >Please help the open source to remain open.
> > >
> > >Thank you.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >ThinkGeek and WIRED's GeekDad team up for the Ultimate
> > >GeekDad Father's Day Giveaway. ONE MASSIVE PRIZE to the
> > >lucky parental unit.  See the prize list and enter to win:
> > >http://p.sf.net/sfu/thinkgeek-promo
> > >_______________________________________________
> > >jdee-users mailing list
> > >[email protected]
> > >https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/jdee-users
> > 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ThinkGeek and WIRED's GeekDad team up for the Ultimate 
> GeekDad Father's Day Giveaway. ONE MASSIVE PRIZE to the 
> lucky parental unit.  See the prize list and enter to win: 
> http://p.sf.net/sfu/thinkgeek-promo
> _______________________________________________
> jdee-users mailing list
> [email protected]
> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/jdee-users
 		 	   		  
_________________________________________________________________
Installez gratuitement les nouvelles Emoch'ticones !
http://www.ilovemessenger.fr/emoticones/telecharger-emoticones-emochticones.aspx

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ThinkGeek and WIRED's GeekDad team up for the Ultimate 
GeekDad Father's Day Giveaway. ONE MASSIVE PRIZE to the 
lucky parental unit.  See the prize list and enter to win: 
http://p.sf.net/sfu/thinkgeek-promo

_______________________________________________
jdee-users mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/jdee-users