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SourceForge blocks Iran, North Korea, Syria, Sudan and Cuba
That isn't the beginning of the story though: back in 2008 the same countries were allowed to surf SourceForge, but not interact with the source code repositories -- they could download, but couldn't contribute. Now it seems the access block is complete -- if you live in Iran, North Korea, Syria, Sudan or Cuba, you simply can't access SourceForge.
ArabCrunch (seemingly not affiliated with its uglier forebear TechCrunch) goes on to share some details on the definition of open source and what it actually means to be 'open'. As defined by the Open Source Initiative (OSI):
At the end of the day, open source ideology be damned, is SourceForge going to argue with the U.S. State Department if they're told to block 'rogue nations'?5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups
The license must not discriminate against any person or group of persons.
6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor
The license must not restrict anyone from making use of the program in a specific field of endeavor. For example, it may not restrict the program from being used in a business, or from being used for genetic research.
It's a tricky subject: should these five countries be persecuted because of the extreme actions enacted by a tiny percentage of their population? Open source software provides a vital building block for these oppressed and developing nations -- I hope the U.S. government can see the potential damage to new infrastructure and fledgling business this might cause.
Update 25th January 2010: SourceForge has issued a statement regarding this situation. Nothing new though, just an apology to those affected by the change.
Comments
42
Subscribe to commentsyonnieJan 27th 2010 11:33PM
This is supposed to be in compliance with UN sanctions. What's the point of having sanctions if everyone wants to behave like sanctions shouldn't be enforced? Last time I checked, the UN included more countries than just the US.
Ditch the dictators and end the sanctions. I agree, ditching dictators is easier said than done. Just like in the US, they can't seem to ditch the demopublicans either.
BassamFeb 1st 2010 9:29AM
well, i am in Syria i tried to download a file from sourceforge yesterday, and was shocked when i got the above message
well, first of all i downloaded the file anyway, using a proxy of course.
but the idea is so stupid
i mean, politics has nothing to do with people downloading files!!
even the politics are wrong, and proves that the u.s wants nothing but world domination.
Syria is a really good country and many Americans are living here in peace and happiness .
and it will take more than politics to make Syrians hate Americans!
dont beleive me? come and visit and see for yourself :)