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MEGA source code (github.com)
46 points by macco 6 hours ago | hide | past | web | 16 comments | favorite





This appears to not actually be open source or free software. The MEGA Limited Code Review License [0] gives some permissions but stops short of allowing use for any purpose, modification, sharing, and redistribution of modified versions.

[0] https://github.com/meganz/MEGAsync/blob/master/LICENCE.md


At least someone can review the code, but is this enough to trust them? I am talking about the people who really worries about their files on cloud storage services.

It is not enough as this does not assert they are executing this code and not a modified version.

Whatever they release, there is no way to prove that that is the code that is actually running on their servers.

is open source the point here?

The title of this thread is rather ambiguous; MEGA has published the source code to their client APIs for quite some time now[0]. Even their iOS, Android, and Windows Phone apps are open source on GitHub.

[0]: https://mega.nz/blog_31


Seems to be related to the announcement from Kim Dotcom saying Bitcache/Megaupload 2.0 will be open source. Still sad that this is not golden standard nowadays.

How exactly is it a good idea for all websites to release their source code?

My opinion is that websites/provider that handle with the customer's sensitive data should release the source, at least the client side source. I just want to be sure that my data is encrypted on the client side and not accessible by the service provider.

It does not mean everyone should be able to use the code. There are still licenses associated with the published source which can/should prevent others to use the code.


The client side source is downloaded and executed by your browser and you can inspect it at any time.

Other than profit motivation and IP, why isn't it?

Aren't profit motivation and IP good enough arguments?

No, they are not. If these arguments are good enough for you, you can justify really unethical things.

We don't live on a commune, the reality of the world is without money and IP we wouldn't have some of the biggest companies on Earth.

And while I'm sure you'll attempt to spin that into a "good thing", I'll hazard a guess that these companies are a net positive when you include millions of employees and the fact without them computers would still by a hobby, not ubiquitous technology, and in fact I'd be surprised if we weren't decades to centuries behind in other fields.


Nobody is saying those are the only things that matter, just that they can be enough in this case.

Without IP we'd be stuck with really shitty software: nobody would ever waste millions in writing something just so somebody else can copy it the next day. Same as medicine patents, copyright of art, etc



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