[Toolserver-l] Changes to expired accounts web hosting

[Max Semenik]

On 05.02.2010, 18:39 James wrote:

> Actually, "we" have had a very long-term rule that we don't use
> non-OSS software as a part of the Wikimedia "stack". This rule is so
> old it pre-dates the Foundation (I remember it being a concern that
> the new-fangled Foundation wouldn't necessarily take it into account
> in future). It has always been an ideologically-based rule, even if it
> has also had practical needs.

> I know that a lot of people will claim that the Toolserver's tools
> aren't part of the software used as a part of the Wikimedia wikis. I
> disagree. To the end-user, the software that we the community use to
> link from geo-tagged articles in Wikipedia, or find categories, or
> other things. Sure, lots of these are editor- rather than
> reader-focussed, but I don't think that there is an easy line to draw.

> If people want a shell account to run "cool" tools that happen to do
> Wikimedia-related things, there's no particular need for them to have
> TS access. There are lots of free or cheap shell providers out there.
> TS access is a privilege, and we should expect those who have the
> advantages of this privilege to work within the same rules that we
> expect from other members of the community.

> But then, I've never written code for the toolserver, running code on
> my own shells when I've needed it. So maybe I'm biased. :-)

> Yours,

As the matter of fact, both Toolserver AND Wikimedia cluster already use
non-free software. Using an ideologically correct technology is a good thing,
but some also believe that using a functional technology is good too.

-- 
Best regards,
  Max Semenik ([[User:MaxSem]])