[MPlayer-dev-eng] [PATCH] repo hacking policy

[Ivan Kalvachev]

2007/2/24, Michael Niedermayer <michaelni at gmx.at>:
> Hi
>
> On Sat, Feb 24, 2007 at 02:45:39AM +0200, Ivan Kalvachev wrote:
> > >On Friday, 23 February 2007 at 17:51, Michael Niedermayer wrote:
> > >> Hi
> > >>
> > >> the attached patch adds a rule to the policy which forbids repo hacking
> > >> except when removing illegal (=is illegal for us not to remove ...)
> > >content
> > >>
> > >> i will apply this in a week or so if we have 2:1 majority that is
> > >> YES > 2*NO
> > >>
> > >> --
> > >> Michael     GnuPG fingerprint: 9FF2128B147EF6730BADF133611EC787040B0FAB
> > >>
> > >> No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible. -- Voltaire
> > >
> > >> Index: svn-howto.txt
> > >> ===================================================================
> > >> --- svn-howto.txt     (revision 22325)
> > >> +++ svn-howto.txt     (working copy)
> > >> @@ -308,6 +308,7 @@
> > >>      mplayer-dev-eng mailing list, so that all developers can benefit
> > >from them.
> > >>      IRC is good for quick discussions, but nobody is there 24/7.
> > >>
> > >> +14. Hacking the SVN repository is forbidden except when removing
> > >illegal content
> >
> > I'm also for avoiding svn repo hacking.
> >
> > but
> >
> > I'd like a little more text defining the exception. I have hard time
> > imagining what illegal content (source) is. The closest thing that
> > comes into my mind is decss .
> > I guess there is no need to say that this is international project and
> > something been illegal in one country may not be illegal in another.
> > Or maybe you didn't mean court order but code committed by cracker?
>
> we can add more text but that wont clarify it much IMHO, whats illegal
> and should be removed will likely be clear in most cases and where its
> not i dont know how to clarify it ...
>
> but feel free to suggest other texts
>
> my idea pretty much is that illegal here is what could get us into troubble
> _and_ at the same time doesnt belong into svn or what we feel is morally
> wrong even if not wrong by the letter of the law
> iam thinking here of uuencoded videos or stolen propriatery code, private
> data, like phone numbers or other things
>
> the question what is with cases where someone just claims he has copyright
> but shows no proof is one of the unclear areas, it should be removed if we
> belive him (we belive its copyright violating to not remove it) and should
> not remove if we belive he is lying and its all legal but that really is
> nothing else then saying remove what we belive is illegal ...
>
> we dont need a rule about removing or not removing things due to court orders
> as we would comply with a valid court order anyway no matter what policy says
>
> about the international question, there is none, the server is in one and
> only one contry (ignoring mirrors) so law outside that is irrelevant,
> if a developer outside the country where the server is would be forced by
> court order to do something his account should be closed at the spot


How about using "harmful" instead of "illegal". IMHO it is much closer
to what you mean.

Anyway, you have my OK for that.