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Real Name For Open Source Development?
Posted by
CmdrTaco
on Mon Nov 17, 2008 02:00 PM
from the my-name-is-guy-ingonito dept.
from the my-name-is-guy-ingonito dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Do you contribute to open source projects under your real name or a nickname? The openness of open source can be encouraging, but software patents you have never heard of can become a nightmare if a patent troll sues for implementing 'their' scroll bar. A real name also means you end up in the big index we call search engines. An assumed name could be an additional layer of protection, but what are its pros and cons and is it worth the hassle when asked to participate in a meatspace meeting?"
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Submission: Real name for open source development? by Anonymous Coward
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probably overkill (Score:5, Informative)
An open source project is an unlikely target for a patent troll. Trolls by definition are not in business actually implementing the technology that is the subject of their patents, so your open source project doesn't hurt them directly. Unless you're making lots of money selling your open source software, there's not much they can hope to sue you for.
If you are looking to for personal liability protection then you should create a corporation under which you do all your software development, which might even include hobby or GPL work. This is probably overkill, but it may be a good idea if you think that there's any possibility of building a business around your hobby work in the future. In that case you might be able to claim some tax breaks for the cost of your computer, internet connection etc.
Hiding behind a pseudonym is only helpful in the case where you are doing something very illegal or commercially disruptive, in which case you need to do a lot more than just choose a handle, eg offshoring, money laundering etc. See online casinos, spammers, and porn sites for ideas...
Re:probably overkill (Score:5, Interesting)
If you use hacker-ish sounding names like CapnCrunch or Dildog then you're asking for notoriety and your ass will be laughed at in a LUG.
Sadly enough, if anybody really wanted to track you down then they'd just throw money at a P.I. or at a buddy who works for your ISP.
Parent
Re:probably overkill (Score:5, Funny)
If you use hacker-ish sounding names like CapnCrunch or Dildog then you're asking for notoriety and your ass will be laughed at in a LUG.
Are you speaking from experience, Ethanol-Fueled?
Parent
Re:probably overkill (Score:5, Funny)
Are you speaking from experience, Ethanol-Fueled?
No, that's his real name. It stems from the ethanol fueled orgy that led to his conception ;)
Parent
Re:probably overkill (Score:4, Interesting)
I resemble that remark.
I use "JW Smythe" as my online name. It's all over the place. Luckly, there are a few other people who use that or variations of it "J.W. Smythe", "John W. Smythe", "Jon Smythe". Pick out the real me. Of course, it's not my real name, but it sounds reasonable. If someone I'm not expecting calls me by my alias, I ignore them, or ask them who they're talking about.
My real name oddly enough is even more popular, by Google searches. There are lots of "me" all around the world, all doing different things. It keeps people wondering if my real name is yet another pseudonym, or it's really me. :)
Only clients and friends know my real name. They also have read my little essay on why I use an alias. Some people still ask for clarification of why. Why? Because there are a lot of weird people out there, and I don't want to go around to the millions of freaks out there saying "Hi, my name is ____ , come look for me." I've known call center folks who have been harassed, threatened, and stalked, because they've used their real names. Even when I've answered phones, they get my pseudonym of the day (or of the job). I use names like some guys use girlfriends. Use it until it's burnt, then pretend it never existed.
The reason of liability when some corporate lawyer decides to play rough applies too, but that's pretty low on my priority list. I worry more about the millions of lunatics floating around the Internet. :)
Parent
Over KILL (Score:5, Funny)
Well, Hans Reiser used his real name....
Need I say more?
Parent
Re:Over KILL (Score:5, Funny)
but he was down with the whole stabbing people thing. I know, hindsight is 20/20, but I always tell my son, do try to have something worthwhile named after you, don't stab people.
I guess Hans Reiser got mixed up.
BTW, if you're wondering about my alias, well, I want something worthwhile named after me, and, well, you've seen my posts.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re:probably overkill (Score:4, Insightful)
Of course, if you use the same alias everywhere it is only a matter of time before someone can put two-and-two together. :)
Parent
Re:probably overkill (Score:5, Informative)
Actually, no, if you're looking for personal liability protection, buy a personal liability insurance policy.
$2m in liability coverage is a couple hundred dollars a year. If you have any assets (and you'd have to in order to be concerned about liability), its an absolute no-brainer to buy an umbrella policy.
People are sue-happy these days.
Parent
Re:probably overkill (Score:5, Informative)
Actually, no, if you're looking for personal liability protection, buy a personal liability insurance policy.
$2m in liability coverage is a couple hundred dollars a year. If you have any assets (and you'd have to in order to be concerned about liability), its an absolute no-brainer to buy an umbrella policy.
People are sue-happy these days.
And the cost of a lost patent-infringement suit could easily top $2M. You should be looking for at least $10M cover, if you ask me.
Or, as the GP suggests, simply use a limited liability corporation, which will cost substantially less. You can form a company which will cost about $150 in the first year and about $50 per annum thereafter, and if it isn't trading commercially you won't need to hire an accountant etc (just read a few books on how to look after it). If anybody is stupid enough to sue it you just file paperwork to fold the business. Sure, they'll end up owning copyright to your work, but as you've probably GPL'd it, that's not particularly helpful for them...
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
You don't even have to do anything questionable. There just has to be someone who objects noisily to it, which is a depressingly low threshold.
Real Name! (Score:5, Funny)
Under my real name, for the most part (Score:4, Insightful)
Right now the only project I actively contribute to is my own. Of course I have my real name on the project site and in the copyright headers. However, my username (on the site and the repository logs) is more of an online nick. The downside of this is that I get lots of e-mails and forum posts where people assume that nick is my real name.
Of course once I'm at the point where I care about liability protection, I'd rather form some sort of LLC to contain my efforts. I really do want to contribute in a way that people know its me, since what's the point of contributing to a project you can't personally claim credit for?
Blue Salad is not my real name. (Score:5, Funny)
As long as I sign my code as Blue Salad, they'll never guess I'm really "Green Salad." Muh haha
Another Con (Score:5, Informative)
From that early moment on, all contributions have been pretty darn anonymous. Remember, you're not just protecting yourself, you're protecting other OSS developers, other OSS companies and more importantly the users.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Radio shack used to have a clause like that too. They even claimed everything you produced for a year after you left. Laughable. As if my sales training there would lead to creating something useful.
Security Through Obscurity (Score:4, Insightful)
From that early moment on, all contributions have been pretty darn anonymous
But what happens if someone finds out? The project is still in just as much risk. That's honestly not very kind either.
Far better is to clarify and modify that contract you are about to sign. Even the lowliest peon can easily ask to have a clause put in along the lines of "The IP section does not cover inventions made using my own equipment outside of company time" (have a lawyer write the real thing). Because otherwise by blindly agreeing, even your posts here on Slashdot are owned by your employer under the typical agreement.
ALmost any company will let you add an addendum like that to your employment contract. Do not be overawed by contracts, they are simply a starting point.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
My experience has been that I have gotten an exclusion all three times this has come up. The key is to be reasonable.
Re:Another Con (Score:5, Informative)
Actually, that's not "peculiar." Pretty much every employment contract will have a clause like that (more generous employers will just grab IP "related to your work," but read that broadly). And for the most part, it's enforceable.
There's also a problem with your anonymous contributions. The open source projects you donated code to are now tainted. If your employer decides to sue you for whatever reason, they'll ask in discovery for you to produce all IP you created while employed. Sure, you can lie and hide the stuff you did, and they may not find out. But if they do, you'll get sanctioned, and the judge will not be your friend after that. Bottom line, take those clauses seriously. If you're doing something unrelated and you really don't think your business is interested, get a signed release for your project. Or better yet, tell them up front that you work on unrelated open source projects, and ask them if they'll agree to a narrowly-crafted exclusion in the employment agreement. They may say yes.
I'm a lawyer, but this post isn't legal advice. Don't rely on it for any reason.
Parent
Re:Another Con (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:Another Con (Score:4, Informative)
Any case not related to the companies direct business would not be allowed to proceed.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Just because you sign a contract doesn't mean you can be legally held to it. You can't be legally held to kill someone after signing a contract to carry out murder.
Employers may think that they have dominion over an employee's life simply because they're paying them, but they actually don't. If they aren't directly paying you for the work, there's a reasonable expectation that it is yours. Does the company also own part of your house if you did repairs on it yourself?
Real, of course. (Score:5, Insightful)
> Do you contribute to open source projects under your real name or a nickname?
Real, of course. Why would I want to hide?
> The openness of open source can be encouraging, but software patents you have never
> heard of can become a nightmare if a patent troll sues for implementing 'their' scroll
> bar.
As a pure unpaid contributor of source code you have no patent liability.
> A real name also means you end up in the big index we call search engines.
I've been using my real name on the Net for more than twenty years. I don't see the problem.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
> As a pure unpaid contributor of source code you have no patent liability.
Unfortunately, that's not true. Actually, as an unpaid, noncommercial USER of a software product, you CAN have patent liability.
Patents extend to the right to control all development and use of derivative technologies whether commercially or noncommercially.
And to the answer...it probably doesn't matter (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Real, of course. Why would I want to hide?
Because now everyone knows you as a T-bagger [wikipedia.org]
Obvious con (Score:3, Insightful)
My nickname... (Score:5, Funny)
I've never had any problems submitting my code as Bill_Gates55, but RMS1953 can sometimes get me into trouble. Of course, nobody would believe me if I used my real name; Girls don't program.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Really? (Score:4, Interesting)
I have a female friend who programs. She runs into the problem of people know she's a girl, so she obviously can't program. I've worked with her, and know she can. Sometimes I run into problems that she can solve. Sometimes she runs into problems that I can solve. That's teamwork though, not a failure of either of us to be able to do our work.
Sometimes I've gone talked to her clients, and said exactly what she said, and they believe it when I say it, because I'm a guy and must know what I'm saying. It's not good, but I don't mind backing her up when she needs it. Really, she shouldn't need it though. Now we just have to convince the rest of the world of that.
Parent
Why use a fake name when you can... (Score:4, Funny)
...use someone else's real name?
Find a great idea while mining through software patents? Use a name of someone you'd like to see twist in the wind and implement this concept in your favorite Open Source project. What could be more fun?
Err on the side of caution (Score:5, Interesting)
That being said, I specifically choose to NOT assume an alias here on slashdot. I have my reasons for doing so, but they are of no consequence. The point is, you should think about your choice and the consequences of it. After weighing the information, if you are still on the fence, you should err on the side of caution and assume an alias.
Be careful with psuedonyms! (Score:5, Funny)
Ever since releasing my first open source OS back in '91, I've been using the pseudonym "Linus Torvalds", which I thought was a sufficiently ridiculous name that no one would ever confuse me for anyone else. Imagine my consternation when some joker from Finland started getting all of these awesome jobs and invited to speak at conferences and whatnot because everyone thought he was me! He's been milking it ever since.
For Employment Purposes (Score:5, Insightful)
I never use my real name online, or at least as little as possible. The reason is I don't want future potential employers to be able to Google up any dirt - real or perceived - on me. If I want to bring some of my OSS work to a prospective employer's attention I can do that. I can also pretty much prove that I am responsible for this feature on that program, or that my contributions are legit.
Having you real name associated online with just about anything is IMO a bad idea. The risks are high and the benefits are almost nonexistent. The odds are 10-1 (I just pulled that number out of my ass) that dirt will outrank achievments if you use your real name and someone Googles for you. That one time you got drunk and went off on some insane rant 5 years ago WILL come back to haunt you no matter how many other positive things there are.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
That one time you got drunk and went off on some insane rant 5 years ago WILL come back to haunt you no matter how many other positive things there are.
I'm not sure about that. With the increasing omnipresence of search engines, you're going to see everybody's drunk insane rant posted and accessible online. If any prospective employer held that sort of thing against me, I doubt that I'd accept the job. Also, there are consequences to not having information about yourself online. After all, if I'm an employer and I don't see any work or any references to you online, I might wonder what you have to hide.
Two sides to this question (Score:5, Interesting)
If you want to be protected by the patent terms of Open Source licenses, which for example was important in the JMRI case, you need to be properly identified. Otherwise, you may have a hard time proving to some judge that you should be protected because the plaintiff should have known that you were "Blue Salad".
Also, the project should make your identity known in the software package as copyright holder. Apache is terrible about this, they strip attribution from most stuff.
And I have a problem with anonomously-donated or anonymously-licensed Open Source, because how do you know the anonymous person actually had the right to donate and you won't run into trouble down the line.
Probably the best thing you can do is assign your copyright to an organization that keeps your identity private. Maybe FSF and some of the incorporated Open Source projects would do this.
Bruce
Apache does this right. (Score:4, Informative)
Apache strips attribution from source files to avoid anyone feeling they own a particular bit of code instead of the community in general. Authorship is maintained through the issue tracker and the subversion commit records.
Moreover, no contributions to Apache are anonymous. All contributions through the issue tracker require the submitter to provide a license for use of the work in Apache. All committers who provide significant works are required to sign a contributor license agreement.
Apache is one of the most thorough open source projects when it comes to ensuring we have clear rights for the works we distribute.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Obviously I don't have proof of every developer's identity. The major projects generally do, however, use some sort of public-key ID to make sure they know who their folks are. Debian does ID their developers as part of the key-signing process. Thus I've looked over a number of developers passports and drivers licenses.
So, if one of those people committed some sort of deliberate crime like inserting a trojan, or uploading their employers code without permission in a way that seriously messes up the project,
Let it slip out (Score:3, Interesting)
Either one is fine (Score:5, Insightful)
That's strictly in the online sphere, though. If you're sitting in someone's office working out a consulting contract to build some open source software then yeah, your business card had better have your birth name on it if you want to be taken seriously.
What about PGP? (Score:4, Interesting)
Embed your real name in your fake (Score:5, Interesting)
Contribute using the SHA1 hash of your real name as your anonymous nickname. If you ever want to be identified you can verify that it was you who made the contributions.
Re:Embed your real name in your fake (Score:4, Insightful)
Heck, you could use the SHA1 hash of most near anything. The fact that you have the correct input string to yield that SHA1 hash should be enough to convince just about anyone, provided it's not something stupid like "password1".
That said, your name would be easy to remember...
Parent
Re:Pffft... (Score:5, Funny)
I always use my real name. It doubles as a nickname, because people laugh when I tell them my mother named me wk2, but it's true.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
How do you pronounce that? "Weak-Two"? "Wiktu"? "Sparky"?
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
It's pronounced "Throat-Warbler Mangrove"
Re:Pffft... (Score:5, Funny)
It's somewhat like clearing your throat and spitting. The whole naming thing was a misunderstanding, but that's what got written on the paperwork...
Parent
Re:Pffft... (Score:4, Funny)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I use my first name and my initial, as well as my email, that way you can still reference it when applying for a job (whereas you'd look like an idiot claiming that you did excellent coding work but never gave a real name or used your regular email)