GitLab

Created by: tr37ion

Hi, I want to tell you the story about my GITHUB experience and wishes:

I urgently searched for a beautiful GIT web interface and I found one: GITLAB! I installed it, which took a bit of effort as I had to solve some VPS restrictions. Then I registered my first repositories.

I was satisfied and overwhelmed by GITLAB's approach and UI. There it was the GIT UI for my future open source projects which I wanted to maintain on my own and open them to the huge internet community, too. I could host my own GITHUB where I'm the owner of my own data. I don't depend on any non/commercial GIT webpage anymore.

What a relieve ... until the day ...

I relealized ... the GITLAB project is not open, not open to users of my projects. It's a restricted web interface for my personal use. More or less another GIT interface where I can track my own issues. For issues of the more important issues of the users GITLAB is closed!

Really? Yes, really it's nothing more than limited GIT webpage which doesn't involve the ordinary project use, Furthermore, GUTHUB is closed to unknown supportive external coders, because there is no self-registering service. They can't use GITLABs interface to contribute new code or bugfixes. Instead they have to contact the GITLAB owner via indirect old fashioned ways and hope he has the time and mood to register them manually. More work for everyone who want to get others help and contribute to the project. Why?

Then I read some comemnts at GITLAB's GITHUB Issues database. Here other GITLAB users propose to implement a 'self-registering service' ... but I was surprised by a GITLAB developer's comment:

"GITLAB was created for private hosting - so this feature is far from our planing board :)"

I'm shocked ... when I came to GITLAB's webpage I didin't realize this is a feature limited project. I asked myself 'How can a GIT related UI project like GITLAB use on one hand a very open GIT UI service like GITHUB and benefit from all it's community features and deny on the other hand to go itself a more community oriented direction. That's maybe also the reason why GITLAB is hosted at GITHUB instead. It's own features are to limited to stay in contact with its own community. Sad .. but they won't change this as I read from the dev's comment?!

Isn't the initial idea of a GIT web interface to close the gap between GIT project coders and their community? The hole interface of GITLAB already has all the features a community could use, but it makes it more than time consuming to grow a privately hosted GIT project community.

I understand that GITLAB's initial idea was to offer a private GIT web interface and this may be useful in specific cases. Although, I think software is always an evolutionary process and GITLAB is really the best example itself.

With this in mind, I propose, please rethink the initial idea and be more open to change. Implement an optional 'self-registering service'. Then it's possible to grow personal communities around private GIT projects, too.

GITLAB already has most of the features a new open community related approach needs I beg you, please, please, rethink your projects plan and open GITLAB's features in a more community oriented way like you use them at GITHUB.