Ask HN: My GitHub account got suspended without any notice

Article summary

A GitHub user's account was suspended without notice, causing disruptions to their work and open-source projects. The user is a maintainer for several projects, including Gatsby, and had been actively contributing to GitHub. The user has tried to contact GitHub support, but has not received a response. The suspension has also affected the user's sponsorship and company work.

Main themes

• GitHub account suspension
• open-source project management
• platform risks and alternatives
• corporate accountability
• public infrastructure for software development
• self-hosting and migration options

What commenters say

• GitHub's lack of response to the user's support ticket is unacceptable and damaging to their reputation.
• The suspension highlights the risks of relying on a single platform for critical work and open-source projects.
• Self-hosting or using alternative platforms like GitLab can mitigate these risks, but may not be a straightforward solution.
• The incident raises concerns about the power dynamics between individual users and large corporations like GitHub.
• Some argue that the user's situation is a result of corporate incompetence, while others suggest that there may be more to the story.
• The importance of public infrastructure and non-profit platforms for software development is emphasized.
• The ease of migrating to alternative platforms like GitLab is questioned, with some arguing that it is a viable option and others highlighting potential challenges.