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ProgramOnChain Establishes the First Platform to Develop a Blockchain-Based Alternative to Github

Wednesday, 28 October 2020 09:20 AM

ProgramOnChain

KARACHI, PAKISTAN / ACCESSWIRE / October 28, 2020 / ProgramOnChain, a software repository management service, establishes the first platform to develop a blockchain-based alternative to Github. Right now, there are more than a dozen software hosting platforms on the web; from open to close source, together with paid and free versions. But none of these platforms have ever thought about integrating blockchain technology into their services.

The founder and core developer of ProgramOnChain, Bakhtiar Zuberi, believes that incorporating blockchain into existing software management platforms will help to bring more benefits to these systems. For example, a repository platform that has an integration of a cryptocurrency could be used to incentivize hard-working developers to contribute more to a project. Such an incentive mechanism would help project managers to save time that would be used to hire developers. Meanwhile, developers on their part won't have to bother about applying for jobs as they can be provided with compensation right into their associated addresses.

Overview of source code repositories

In a broad sense, source code repositories basically serve as file archives or web hosting platforms. People can use them to store source code of software, web pages, different forms of documentation, and anything in between. Whether or not authorization is needed to access a repository management platform depends on its type. Public repositories require no permission whereas private repositories can only be accessed upon invitation.

Source code repositories are mostly used by open source projects or any project that requires multi developers to collaborate. Many of them have bug tracing systems and also provide mailing lists, various release systems together with wiki-based project documentation. And of course, any entity that posts code on a repository platform retains copyright to their software.

Github is currently the most renowned and widely used source code hosting platform world-wide. Despite its popularity, developers around the world are increasingly worried about the centralized nature of the platform, especially after its acquisition by Microsoft on the 6th of October 2018.

Why users need a censorship-resistant repository management platform like ProgramOnChain

Back in July 2019, Microsoft-owned Github announced that it has restricted access to its platform for developers from Iran, Crimea, North Korea, Cuba, and Syria. According to Github's CEO, Nat Friedman, such a move wasn't in the interest of Github itself but was only done to comply with US regulatory authorities.

Despite the existence of many alternatives to Github, censorship remains a major concern. For example, Gitlab, Bitbucket, and Sourceforge also restrict developers from certain countries from accessing some of their repository management services.

While many people have often criticized these cross-border restrictions, it is less likely that such restrictions won't be replicated by other repository hosting platforms. All these have often been to the detriment of innocent developers who have no control over the activities of their governments.

It should be noted that even before Github's restriction's last year, the platform has long been the target of regulatory scrutiny and censorship from many governments (China, Russia, India, etc) around the world. In most cases, jurisdictions that find it difficult to prohibit its citizens from accessing Github would resort to using DNS hijacking, internet service provider blocks, and other forms of man in the middle attacks.

It is obvious that only a censorship resistant repository hosting system would solve the problem of cross border restrictions, and that is exactly what ProgramOnChain is set to achieve.

What is ProgramOnChain and how does it work?

ProgramOnChain is a Bitcoin Satoshi Vision (BSV) based programming repository management platform developed by Bakhtiar Zuberi. Each user who registers on the platform gets immediate access to an account that is tied to a unique BSV address. Additionally, every user has complete control of their account and can view the keys associated with it. Plus, their account addresses can be used to upload repository data to the chain and will also help to build each person's reputation regarding all their contributions to the platform.

Who is Bakhtiar Zuberi?

Bakhtiar Zuberi is a 21-year-old programmer who is currently pursuing a computer science degree at the Comsats University of Islamabad. He is known in the crypto community as Raja Zuberi and was one of the early adopters of bitcoin. According to his twitter account, Raja (unluckily) sold 919 bitcoins back in 2011 at 12 cents each.

Raja has worked with notable blockchain-related platforms in the space such as:

  • Hcash - a decentralized and open source cross-chain technology platform
  • Nano - A feeless distributed cryptocurrency network
  • Bisq-network - A decentralized bitcoin exchange network

Closing thoughts

Current repository management platforms are unprotected against regulatory scrutiny, not just from the U.S., but also from other governments around the world. A censorship resistant repository hosting platform like ProgramOnChain is the only way to guarantee fair and equal opportunities for all developers around the world.

Media contact:

Company: ProgramOnChain
Contact: Bakhtiar Zuberi
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: https://ProgramOnChain.com/
Telephone: +923495422024

SOURCE: ProgramOnChain

Topic:
Product Announcements
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