Re: [Repo-criteria-discuss] Rough Draft of Announcement (Task 2)

[Zak Rogoff]

On 04/14/2016 04:27 PM, Andrew Ferguson wrote:
> That's fantastic. Looking forward to the release.
> 
> I've also asked Karl to email the query(s) regarding the criteria to
> this list for discussion (although I noted that changes would most
> likely take place after the release of the evaluations).
> 
> On 14/04/16 17:24, Zak Rogoff wrote:
>> Andrew, I think the PR hits all the important points and the structure
>> is good. After lunch, I'm going to go through and make a bunch of spot
>> edits to it that are small enough that it wouldn't really make sense for
>> me to ask you to do them. Then I'll share the draft around.
>>
> 
> 
> 


Here's the latest version. I'll be trying to publish this early next
week (keep in mind however that Monday is a holiday for the FSF). Small
changes are welcome, but I'm trying to let it converge on the final version.

# GNU releases ethical evaluations of code hosting services

*This post was written by community members Andrew Ferguson, with FSF
campaigns manager Zak Rogoff.*

BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA -- DAY, MONTH DATE, 2016 -- Today the Free
Software Foundation (FSF) and the GNU project announced evaluations of
several major repository-hosting services according to the standards of
the GNU Ethical Criteria for Code Repositories. Released in 2015, these
criteria grade code hosting services for their commitment to user
privacy and freedom. At the time of publication GNU Savannah and GitLab
have met or surpassed the baseline standards of the criteria.

The completed evaluations can be viewed on the [evaluation page]
(PLACEHOLDER), while the [criteria
page](http://www.gnu.org/software/repo-criteria.en.html) offers more
information on the evaluation process, as well as the criteria themselves.

Repositories are used not only by software developers but also by
software users, and they have a large impact on the free software
community. The evaluations promote and honor good ethical practice on
the part of repositories, and make it easy for users to find services
that respect them.

Version 1.0 of the criteria ranks sites on a score from F (unacceptable)
to A+ (extra credit). No site has yet received extra credit, but GNU
Savannah achieved an A grade. An F grade shows the service has not met
even the minimum ethical standards expected for the hosting of a GNU
package. [GNU's Repo Criteria Discussion
list](https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/repo-criteria-discuss) is
happy to offer assistance to repository-hosting organizations seeking to
improve their service's score.

One service which has passed the criteria is GitLab. “We want to allow
everyone to contribute to software. We recognize that many people have a
need for free software to do this.” said GitLab's CEO Sytse Sijbrandij,
adding that “as a former developer myself I think it is natural that you
can contribute to the software you use to collaborate.” Many repository
sites require the user to run proprietary JavaScript to access their
full functionality, but Gitlab has addressed this by [relicensing its
JavaScript as free
software](https://about.gitlab.com/2015/05/20/gitlab-gitorious-free-software/).

GNU Savannah, a code hosting service run by the FSF that has also passed
these criteria, “host[s] projects for the sake of the ideals of freedom
and community that the free software movement stands for”, according to
its Website, which also makes clear that “[t]he space given to you on
this server is given for the expressed purpose of advancing free software”.

More volunteers with coding ability are needed to aid the development of
existing repository services to help them meet these criteria. All
community members are encouraged to write the administrators of code
hosting services, to build awareness and a motivation to improve their
ethical evaluations. GitHub has responded positively to requests from
the free software community and has recently updated its [license
chooser](http://choosealicense.com/) to include the GPLv3 license,
however more community advocacy is required, as GitHub still fails to
pass the criteria.

General discussion regarding the criteria or evaluation can be directed
to the
[libreplanet-discuss](https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/libreplanet-discuss)
mailing list. Volunteers with questions or suggestions are encouraged to
join
[repo-criteria-discuss](https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/repo-criteria-discuss).

### About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to
promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and
redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and
use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating
system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free
software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and
political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites,
located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information
about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at
<https://donate.fsf.org>. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

More information about the FSF, as well as important information for
journalists and publishers, is at <https://www.fsf.org/press>.

### About the GNU Operating System and Linux

Richard Stallman announced in September 1983 the plan to develop a
free software Unix-like operating system called GNU. GNU is the only
operating system developed specifically for the sake of users'
freedom. See <https://www.gnu.org/gnu/the-gnu-project.html>.

In 1992, the essential components of GNU were complete, except for
one, the kernel. When in 1992 the kernel Linux was re-released under
the GNU GPL, making it free software, the combination of GNU and Linux
formed a complete free operating system, which made it possible for
the first time to run a PC without non-free software. This combination
is the GNU/Linux system. For more explanation, see
<https://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-linux-faq.html>.

### Media Contacts

Zak Rogoff
Campaigns Manager
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942 x31
address@hidden


-- 
Zak Rogoff // Campaigns Manager
Free Software Foundation