Microsoft discourages the use of Github!

ic2 · Post by **ic2** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 11:24 am

Well this is interesting.

Geekwire obtained an internal Microsoft document with a list of list of prohibited and discouraged technology. On it: Github!

Ok, it is limited to the cloud version. But still remarkable for a company who obtained Github and thinks the future for IT projects is to have everything Cloud based.

https://www.geekwire.com/2019/no-slack- ... -software/

Dick

wriedmann · Post by **wriedmann** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 11:33 am

Hi Dick,

this is very clear, and I would do the same if I had an inhouse version of Github, and so confidential informations as Microsoft.
After all, GitHub is owned by Microsoft, but is not run by Microsoft itself, so confidential information (that must remain private) cannot be shared on GitHub.
Wolfgang

ic2 · Post by **ic2** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 12:32 pm

Hello Wofgang,

If warning not to use Github is necessary then they could blacklist almost anything. "We discourage you to use Outlook because you may mail all your passwords to the wrong person".

Microsoft is responsible for Github as an owner and apparently does not trust proper use of the cloud version of a product while they keep on yelling we should use cloud wherever possible ("intelligent cloud, intelligent edge").

Dick

wriedmann · Post by **wriedmann** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 2:58 pm

Hi Dick,

to explain better what I mean: for sure Microsoft should also blacklist the use of Hotmail for business use, because the employees should use the internal Exchange system.
You should not see this blacklist as against Github, but as for their own internal platform.
It is much easier to block something compared to whitelist something else.
The same is true for Slack: they have their own internal system....
Wolfgang

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 3:29 pm

Hi Wolfgang,

But Git IS their own internal platform!

wriedmann · Post by **wriedmann** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 4:22 pm

Hi Chris,

AFAIK they use the "public" Github for their open source project, and they have only blacklisted it for non-public projects because they have their own (git based) system. This is true at least for Windows development, and I can understand they would not like to see the Windows or Office sources on the external/public GitHub where it is to easy to share them with other people external to Microsoft itself.
Wolfgang

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 4:29 pm

Hi Wolfgang,

Yeah, you are probably right!

lumberjack · Post by **lumberjack** » Thu Jun 27, 2019 7:13 am

Dick,

I think Wolfgang explained, but I supported a Third-party product at a company running on Oracle. They offered a "cloud" based data service. However none of the big companies chose that root and preferred an internal Oracle database server with own backup/recovery plans.

I believe MS have a similar setup, critical company data on internal SQL Servers... Same for GitHub...

ic2 · Post by **ic2** » Thu Jun 27, 2019 8:58 am

Hello Wofgang,

wriedmann wrote:Hi Chris,

AFAIK they use the "public" Github for their open source project, and they have only blacklisted it for non-public projects because they have their own (git based) system. This is true at least for Windows development, and I can understand they would not like to see the Windows or Office sources on the external/public GitHub where it is to easy to share them with other people external to Microsoft itself.
quote]

No, that is not what they meant with the ban. They just do not consider the cloud version of Github safe enough to store confidential info (which can/should be kept confidential on the cloud version as well but apparently they do not trust it to be themselves). Some comments I read:

"So no, Microsoft employees, you cannot store the source code for the latest version of Microsoft Outlook on GitHub, where an errant checkbox in a user's account settings can open up the lock on some of the world's most valuable intellectual property and inadvertently turn Microsoft Windows 11 into the world's most popular open-source operating system."

"It would be like Elon Musk declaring that no SpaceX employee can drive a Tesla, or Amazon announcing that employees will not be allowed to access The Washington Post from their company computers."

In other words: they advertise "cloud, cloud and cloud" but don't trust it themselves , with their own product. I think this is very interesting.

Dick

wriedmann · Post by **wriedmann** » Thu Jun 27, 2019 9:42 am

Hi Dick,

we can let this at it is: I don't see this as bad reputation for GitHub, and you are are thinking the opposite way.
I'm not able to convince you, and you are not able to convince me.
Se we can let this as it is.

Wolfgang

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