Lerna development team quickly reverses decision to block ICE Contractors from using its Software

It was only two days ago when Jamie Kyle, a Lerna Developer decided to modify the Lerna’s license to ban companies who are the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) contractors from using the software. This decision has now been reverted by the Lerna Core team and Kyle has been removed from the development project. Now, any organization who wishes to use the Lerna software is free to use it.

Kyle stated, on Wednesday, over Github how he has been deeply disturbed by ICE’s behavior with American immigrants and the companies who have collaborated with ICE “don’t have any licensing rights” and “any use of Lerna will be considered theft”.

Daniel Stockman, a core Lerna contributor, removed Kyle from the project, yesterday morning and pointed out that the license change was a “rash decision” that was “unenforceable”. He also added that there were “several past violations of [Lerna’s] code of conduct” as there were instances when Kyle’s behavior was rude and impolite.

As reported to Motherboard, Kyle thinks his removal from the team is a result of Stockman’s discussion of the issue with Microsoft employees. But, Stockman denied the characterization to Motherboard.

“I think developers can be activists if they so choose, and I support tools and licenses designed to make this easier,” said Stockman. He also added that because he is willing to revoke the relicensing doesn’t mean that he is an ICE supporter, and described ICE as “monstrous” and “must be abolished”.

Public opinion about Lerna’s current decision is varied:

https://twitter.com/alicegoldfuss/status/1035214998375559173

https://twitter.com/xander76/status/1034842377775529984

https://twitter.com/chriseppstein/status/1034863523493339136

https://twitter.com/benwiley4000/status/1035031630333796352

https://twitter.com/siziyman/status/1035051041111326720

“Open source, even in a project where there is only one active contributor, is never just about one individual. Even acquiescence from multiple core contributors is not sufficient to justify a change like this,” says Stockman.

For more coverage on the news, check out the post by Motherboard.

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