Rug pulls, forks, and open-source feudalism
4 days ago
- #governance
- #licensing
- #open-source
- Power dynamics in open-source resemble feudalism, with cloud providers holding significant power over smaller companies, contributors, and users.
- Companies can relicense open-source software, leading to 'rug pulls' that disrupt users and contributors, but forks can rebalance power.
- Forks require substantial resources and community support to succeed, often led by large companies or foundations.
- Examples include Elasticsearch/OpenSearch, Terraform/OpenTofu, and Redis/Valkey, showing varied outcomes post-relicensing.
- Contributor License Agreements (CLAs) increase the risk of rug pulls, while neutral governance and diverse contributors reduce it.
- Projects under foundations with diverse leadership are less likely to experience rug pulls.
- Encouraging outside contributions and active participation can mitigate risks associated with rug pulls.
- The ability to fork serves as a deterrent against relicensing, as seen with Valkey and OpenTofu influencing company decisions.