how much of a forge is SaaSS?

[bill-auger]

i started a new thread for this discussion, to avoid steering
the codeberg thread off-track


On Tue, 29 Jun 2021 10:33:00 +1000 Yuchen wrote:
> > i think that the "gist" of the SaaSS definition, is that it
> > covers any computing task, which could be done on one local
> > machine, or at least one controlled by the user  
> 
> and which does not require communications with someone else's 
> computers.

using a forge (or a web browser), does not require communication
with any other computer - it is a perfectly valid use-case, to
operate ones own forge for private, local, use

in any use-case, the use of a forge, certainly does not require
all communications to be mediated through a third-party, who has
no obligation nor stake in the project


On Tue, 29 Jun 2021 10:33:00 +1000 Yuchen wrote:
> Code review, forum and mailing lists are all communications so 
> should not count as SaaSS.

the fact that communication is involved, does not exempt it from
being SaaSS - when those communication are mediated by a forge,
there is much more happening than simple "communication" - there
is code being executed on a machine, which _none_ of the users
control, but which could be executed on a machine that one (or
all) of the users _could_ control


On Tue, 29 Jun 2021 10:33:00 +1000 Yuchen wrote:
> Take mentions for example. Say the functionality is you get an 
> notification when someone @you in an issue tracker. Is this SaaSS?

likely no; because the computation is so trivial - but the task
itself is also trivial - a forge and a web browser are absurdly
complicated tools for that trivial task - that same task could
be accomplished, using only simpler, local software (email,
XMPP, etc)


On Tue, 29 Jun 2021 10:33:00 +1000 Yuchen wrote:
> because there's no way of 
> getting the notification without communicating with the server.

yes there is - you could operate the server yourself on a
machine that you control - other contributors would get
notifications from your server; but at least one of the team
members controls that server


On Tue, 29 Jun 2021 10:33:00 +1000 Yuchen wrote:
> Clearly Forge A gives users more control than Forge B

Forge A may give users more _options_ than Forge B, regarding
which computations happen, and when; but none of the users have
any _control_, over any of the computations, on either forge


On Tue, 29 Jun 2021 10:33:00 +1000 Yuchen wrote:
> Perhaps the SaaSS essay needs an update to cover the 
> bells-and-whisles.

i agree - most policies should be reviewed/revised periodically,
to stay current with the technologies that people use

likewise, these repo-criteria are showing their age, by ignoring
self-hosting forges as a viable (if not the preferred) option,
and indeed, the general solution to the SaaSS issue