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Cal.com is going closed source (cal.com)

391 points by Benjamin_Dobell · 137 days ago · 317 comments on HN

Article summary

Cal.com, a scheduling platform, is transitioning from open source to closed source due to security concerns. The company cites the increasing risk of AI-driven security threats as the primary reason for this decision. Cal.com will continue to offer an open-source version, Cal.diy, for hobbyists and developers. The move is intended to protect customer data and reduce the risk of vulnerabilities being exploited.

Main themes

  • Open source vs closed source
  • AI-driven security threats
  • Security risks
  • SaaS and enterprise software
  • Code transparency and obscurity

What commenters say

  • The decision to move to closed source is seen as a business decision rather than a security decision, with some arguing that it is a knee-jerk reaction to the perceived threats of AI.
  • Some commenters believe that security through obscurity is not an effective model and that the company should instead focus on proactive security measures.
  • Others argue that the move to closed source will not significantly improve security, as attackers can still use reverse engineering tools and LLMs to identify vulnerabilities.
  • There is a concern that the existing open source model is being killed by the increasing capabilities of LLMs, and that foundational model providers should provide more support to open source projects.
  • Some commenters think that the company's message implies a lack of confidence in their ability to secure user data, which could be damaging to their reputation.
  • The effectiveness of spending money on finding and fixing vulnerabilities before pushing code to production is questioned, with some arguing that it is a more proactive approach to security.