GitHub could be acquired by Microsoft

[Adam Wilson]

On 06/04/2018 08:53 PM, Adam Wilson wrote:
> On 6/3/18 20:51, Anton Fediushin wrote:
>> This is still just a rumour, we'll know the truth on Monday (which is 
>> today).
>>
>> Some articles about the topic:
>>
>> https://fossbytes.com/microsoft-github-aquisition-report/
>> https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/3/17422752/microsoft-github-acquisition-rumors 
>>
>>
>> What's your opinion about that? Will you continue using GitHub?
>>
>> Both GitLab and Bitbucket can be used instead to host your D projects 
>> - dub registry supported them for a while now.
>>
>> IMHO Microsoft isn't the type of company I want to see behind the 
>> GitHub. Maybe I am wrong since Microsoft has both money and 
>> programmers to improve it further, I just don't trust them too much 
>> which is the right thing to do when dealing with companies. This means 
>> that I will move my repositories elsewhere and use GitHub just to 
>> contribute to other projects.
>>
> 
> I've been thinking how to best respond to this and here is where I am.
> 
> First, let me state up-front that I work for Microsoft (Office 365 
> Workplace Analytics). Second, my employer (Volometrix) prior to working 
> for Microsoft was acquired by Microsoft almost three years ago.
> 
> What that means is that while my division had no fore-warning of this 
> acquisition I have first-hand experience with what will be happening at 
> GitHub over the next months and years.
> 
> As an employee of Microsoft I am required to follow Microsoft's policy 
> on Social Media, which can be reduced to "If you have nothing nice to 
> say, then say nothing at all." Or stated plainly, what follows may or 
> may not represent the entirety of my thoughts on the matter as I am 
> effectively barred from revealing any negative thoughts.
> 
> So what I can say about this acquisition is that it is the best possible 
> outcome of GitHub's possible futures for both the company and the 
> employees. GitHub has not been profitable for years and is thought to 
> have had cash reserves for only one or two more months of operations. 
> Losing GitHub entirely overnight would have been an unmitigated disaster 
> for the entire Open-Source community. And there are fates worse than 
> death. Imagine for a second GitHub at Google or ... *shudder* Oracle. 
> Whatever your opinions about Microsoft, you cannot possible imagine that 
> either of those outcomes would have been qualitatively better. In that 
> sense Microsoft was the best of the bad options GitHub.
> 
> As to any other concerns/opinions, all I will say is ... think laterally.
> 

As a reminder I have no inside information on what goes on over in the 
Azure world and that is where GitHub will land as has been announced.

-- 
Adam Wilson
IRC: LightBender
import quiet.dlang.dev;