Editing SourceForge

{{Short description|Software discovery and hosting platform for B2B and open source software}}
{{About|the website}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox website
| name = SourceForge
| logo = SourceForge logo transparent.svg
| logo_caption = SourceForge logo since 2018
| screenshot = 
| caption = 
| url = {{Official URL}}
| commercial = Yes
| ipv6 = Yes
| type = Software discovery platform for free [[Internet hosting service|hosting]] for [[open-source]] [[software project management]] and B2B software review & comparison directory
| registration = Optional <small>(required for creating and joining projects)</small>
| owner = [[Slashdot Media]] (2019–present)<ref name="markets.businessinsider.com">{{Cite web|url=https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/slashdot-media-to-merge-with-bizx-llc-creating-a-market-leader-in-b2b-software-technology-and-data-1028780285|title=Slashdot Media to Merge with BIZX, LLC, Creating a Market Leader in B2B, Software, Technology, and Data
|website=BusinessInsider.com|access-date=January 12, 2020}}</ref><br>BIZX, LLC (2016–2019)<ref name="MarketWire">{{cite web
    | url        = http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/bizx-subsidiary-sourceforge-media-llc-acquires-slashdot-media-2091995.htm
    | title      = BIZX Subsidiary SourceForge Media, LLC Acquires Slashdot Media
    | work       = Marketwire
    | date       = January 28, 2016
    | access-date = October 15, 2016
  }}</ref><br>[[DHI Group, Inc.]] (2012–2016)<br>[[Geeknet]], Inc. (1999–2012)
| author = [[VA Software]]
| launch_date = {{start date and age|1999|11}}
| revenue = 
| current_status = Online
| key_people = Logan Abbott ([[President (corporate title)|President]])<ref name="MarketWire" /><ref name="sourceforge-acquisition-post">{{cite web
  | last1      = Abbott
  | first1     = Logan
  | title      = SourceForge Acquisition and Future Plans
  | date = February 10, 2016
 | url        = https://sourceforge.net/blog/sourceforge-acquisition-and-future-plans/
  | publisher  = SourceForge
  | access-date = January 1, 2017
}}</ref>
}}

'''SourceForge''' is a [[web service]] founded by Geoffrey B. Jeffery, Tim Perdue, and Drew Streib in November 1999. SourceForge provides a centralized software discovery platform, including an online platform for managing and hosting [[open-source]] software projects, and a directory for comparing and reviewing B2B software that lists over 104,500 business software titles.<ref name="sourceforge-about">{{Cite web |title=About SourceForge |url=https://sourceforge.net/about |website=SourceForge}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Compare Business Software |url=https://sourceforge.net/software/ |website=SourceForge}}</ref> It provides [[source code repository]] hosting, [[bug tracking]], [[Mirror site|mirroring]] of downloads for [[load balancing (computing)|load balancing]], a [[wiki]] for documentation, developer and user [[Internet mailing list|mailing lists]], user-support [[Internet forum|forums]], user-written [[review]]s and ratings, a [[news bulletin]], [[micro-blog]] for publishing project updates, and other features.

SourceForge was one of the first to offer this service free of charge to open-source projects.<ref name="earthweb2007">{{cite web
  | url = http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/cnews/article.php/3705731
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110716044546/http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/cnews/article.php/3705731
  | access-date = April 12, 2012
| title = The SourceForge Story
  | archive-date = July 16, 2011
| first = James | last = Maguire
  | date = October 17, 2007
}}</ref> Since 2012, the website has run on [[Apache Allura]] software. SourceForge offers free hosting and free access to tools for developers of [[Free software|free]] and [[open-source software]].

{{As of|2020|9}}, the SourceForge repository claimed to host more than 502,000 projects and had more than 3.7 million registered users.<ref name="sourceforge-about" />

== Concept ==
SourceForge is a web-based [[source code repository]]. It acts as a centralized location for [[free and open-source software]] projects. It was the first to offer this service for free to open-source projects. Project developers have access to centralized storage and tools for managing projects, though it is best known for providing [[revision control]] systems such as [[Concurrent Versions System|CVS]], [[Apache Subversion|Subversion]], [[GNU Bazaar|Bazaar]], [[Git]] and [[Mercurial]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apps.sourceforge.net/trac/sourceforge/wiki |title=Sourceforge.net |website=Apps.SourceForge.net |access-date=April 19, 2012}}</ref> Major features (amongst others)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apps.sourceforge.net/trac/sourceforge/wiki/Comprehensive%20service%20directory |title=Comprehensive Service Directory |website=Apps.SourceForge.net |access-date=October 19, 2012}}</ref> include project [[wiki]]s, metrics and analysis, access to a [[MySQL]] [[database]], and unique sub-domain [[URL]]s (in the form <code><nowiki>http://</nowiki><var>project-name</var>.sourceforge.net</code>).

The vast number of users at SourceForge.net (over three million as of 2013)<ref name="compete1">{{cite web|author=United States|date=October 26, 2011|title=Sourceforge Attracts Almost 40m Visitors Yearly|url=http://siteanalytics.compete.com/sourceforge.net?metric=uv|access-date=April 19, 2012|website=SiteAnalytics.Compete.com|archive-date=December 8, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208092400/http://siteanalytics.compete.com/sourceforge.net/?metric=uv|url-status=dead}}</ref> exposes prominent projects to a variety of developers and can create a [[positive feedback loop]]. As a project's activity rises, SourceForge.net's internal ranking system makes it more visible to other developers through SourceForge directory and Enterprise Directory.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://sourceforge.net/directory/ |title=SourceForge.net}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://sourceforge.net/directory/enterprise |title=SourceForge.net}}</ref> Given that many open-source projects fail due to lack of developer support, exposure to such a large community of developers can continually breathe new life into a project. {{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}

=== Revenue model ===
SourceForge's traditional revenue model is through advertising banner sales on their site. Reported revenue increased from quarterly takings of [[United States dollar|US$]]1 million in 2005, to 6.5 million in 2006 <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/sourceforge-quarterly-profit-surges-as-revenue-rises|title=Sourceforge quarterly profit surges as revenue rises|access-date=August 13, 2013|date=May 24, 2007|website=MarketWatch.com|quote=''Software Corp., late Thursday reported third-quarter net earnings of $6.49 million, or 9 cents a share, up from $997,000, or 2 cents a share, during the year-ago period.''|first=Katherine |last=Hunt}}</ref> to US$23 million a quarter in 2009<ref>{{cite web| url=http://ir.corp.sourceforge.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=82629&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1260642&highlight=| title=SourceForge Reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2009 Financial Results| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603170625/http://ir.corp.sourceforge.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=82629&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1260642&highlight=| archive-date=June 3, 2015}}</ref> before dropping back to reported total annual revenue of US$20 million in 2011 across SourceForge, slashdot and freecode (prior to SourceForge's acquisition).<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericsavitz/2012/09/18/dice-holdings-buys-slashdot-sourceforge-from-geeknet/ |title=Dice holdings bytes slashdot|website=[[Forbes]] }}</ref>

Since 2013, additional revenue generation schemes, such as [[bundleware]] models, have been trialled, with the goal of increasing SourceForge's revenue. Negative community reactions to the partnership program led to a review of the program, which was nonetheless opened up to all SourceForge projects on February 7, 2014.<ref>{{cite web
  | url     = https://sourceforge.net/blog/today-we-offer-devshare-beta-a-sustainable-way-to-fund-open-source-software/
  | title     = Today We Offer DevShare (Beta), A Sustainable Way To Fund Open Source Software
  | author     = Roberto Galoppini
  | date     = July 1, 2013
  | access-date     = July 6, 2013
  | archive-date     = October 4, 2013
  | archive-url     = https://web.archive.org/web/20131004214316/https://sourceforge.net/blog/today-we-offer-devshare-beta-a-sustainable-way-to-fund-open-source-software/
  | url-status     = dead
  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web
  | url = https://sourceforge.net/blog/devshare-relaunch-power-to-end-users/
  | title   = DevShare Relaunch: Power to end-users!
  | author  = Roberto Galoppini
  | date    = February 7, 2014
}}</ref>

On February 9, 2016, the new owners BIZX, LLC, announced they had eliminated the DevShare program.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://betanews.com/2016/02/11/sourceforge-pledges-to-clean-up-its-downloader-act/|title=SourceForge pledges to clean up its downloader act|work=BetaNews|date=February 11, 2016|access-date=April 30, 2016}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Sourceforge_logo.png|thumb|Former logo of SourceForge]]
SourceForge, founded in 1999 by [[VA Software]], was the first provider of a centralized location for free and open-source software developers to control and manage software development and offering this service free of charge.<ref name="earthweb2007" /> The software running the SourceForge site was released as free software in January 2000<ref>{{cite web|title=SourceForge Code Release|url=http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=4024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000301031158/http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=4024|archive-date=March 1, 2000|url-status=dead|publisher=VA Software|date=January 14, 2000|quote=It's finally here...The Code behind this site is being released under the terms of the GPL.|access-date=February 11, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url-status=dead|url=http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010418102945/http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=1|archive-date=April 18, 2001|access-date=February 11, 2017|title=SourceForge - Files}} Early code releases</ref> and was later named SourceForge Alexandria.<ref>{{cite web|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020302153115/http://sourceforge.net/projects/alexandria-dev/|archive-date=March 2, 2002|access-date=February 11, 2017|url=http://sourceforge.net/projects/alexandria-dev/|title=SourceForge Alexandria}}</ref> The last release under a free license was made in November 2001.<ref name="lwn2002">{{cite web|url=https://lwn.net/Articles/17822/|website=[[LWN.net]]|title=Restarting free SourceForge development|date=December 11, 2002}}</ref> After the [[Dot-com bubble#Companies|dot-com bubble]], SourceForge was later powered by the proprietary [[SourceForge Enterprise Edition]], a separate product re-written in [[Java (programming language)|Java]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Apps/sourceforge-forks.html|title=Sourceforge forks|access-date=February 11, 2017|author=Rick Moen|quote=...around 2002, VA Software decided to junk the entire SourceForge codebase ... as the basis for its proprietary SourceForge Enterprise product, and recode the entire thing from scratch in Java...}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310204135/http://www.vasoftware.com/sourceforge/difs.php|url=http://www.vasoftware.com/sourceforge/difs.php|archive-date=March 10, 2007|access-date=February 11, 2017|title=Differences Between SourceForge.net® and SourceForge® Enterprise Edition|quote= SourceForge.net was built ... using popular web scripting languages including PHP, Perl and Python and many Open Source tools and components. ... By contrast, SourceForge Enterprise Edition was architected and built from the ground up ... [with a] Platform-independent J2EE architecture|author=VA Software|author-link=VA Software}}</ref> which was marketed for use in [[offshore outsourcing]].<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20031208005258/en/Latest-Product-VA-Software-Governance-Offshore-Outsourcing|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211075748/http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20031208005258/en/Latest-Product-VA-Software-Governance-Offshore-Outsourcing|archive-date=February 11, 2017|agency=Business Wire|date=December 8, 2003|title=Latest Product from VA Software Provides Better Governance for Offshore Outsourcing...}}</ref>

SourceForge has been temporarily banned in [[People's Republic of China|China]] three times: in September 2002,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2119983/china-asta-la-vista-altavista|title=China Says Asta la Vista to Altavista|website=VNUNet.com|date=September 6, 2002|access-date=December 4, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011203709/http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2119983/china-asta-la-vista-altavista|archive-date=October 11, 2008}}</ref> in July 2008 (for about a month)<ref>[http://www.moon-blog.com/2008/07/sourceforge-unblocked-in-china.html SourceForge Unblocked in China]. Moonlight Blog. July 24, 2008.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=500647 |title=Gamedev.net |website=GameDev.net |date=April 14, 2012 |access-date=April 19, 2012}}</ref> and on August 6, 2012 (for several days).

In November 2008, SourceForge was sued by the French [[collection society]] [[Société civile des Producteurs de Phonogrammes en France]] (SPPF) for hosting downloads of the file sharing application [[Shareaza]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://torrentfreak.com/record-labels-to-sue-vuze-limewire-and-sourceforge-081114/ |title=Record Labels to Sue Vuze, Limewire and SourceForge |website=TorrentFreak.com |access-date=April 19, 2012}}</ref>

In 2009, SourceForge announced a new site platform known as Allura, which would be an extensible, open source platform licensed under the [[Apache License]], utilizing components such as [[Python (programming language)|Python]] and [[MongoDB]], and offering [[REST]] [[API]]s.<ref name="sf-anopenforge">{{cite web|title=An Open Forge|url=https://sourceforge.net/blog/an-open-forge/|website=SourceForge|date=March 11, 2011|access-date=February 4, 2016}}</ref> In June 2012, the Allura project was donated to the [[Apache Software Foundation]] as Apache Allura.<ref>{{cite web|last=Proffitt |first=Brian |url=http://www.itworld.com/it-managementstrategy/281561/sourceforge-back-end-code-be-donated-apache |title=SourceForge back-end code to be donated to Apache |work=ITworld |date=June 18, 2012 |access-date=October 19, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/SourceForge-submits-Allura-to-Apache-s-Incubator-1620747.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006221325/http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/SourceForge-submits-Allura-to-Apache-s-Incubator-1620747.html |archive-date=October 6, 2013|title=SourceForge submits Allura to Apache's Incubator |website=H-Online.com |date=June 19, 2012 |access-date=October 19, 2012}}</ref>

In September 2012, SourceForge, [[Slashdot]], and [[Freecode]] were acquired from [[Geeknet]] by the online job site [[Dice.com]] for $20 million, and incorporated into a subsidiary known as Slashdot Media.<ref name="dice2012">{{cite web|url=http://www.dhigroupinc.com/press/Press-Release-Details/2012/Dice-Holdings-Inc-Acquires-Online-Media-Business-from-Geeknet-Inc/|title=DHI Group Inc. - Dice Holdings, Inc. Acquires Online Media Business from Geeknet, Inc.|access-date=April 30, 2016}}</ref><ref name=theh2012>{{cite web|url=http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Dice-Holdings-acquires-Slashdot-and-SourceForge-1711181.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208023450/http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Dice-Holdings-acquires-Slashdot-and-SourceForge-1711181.html |title=Dice Holdings acquires Slashdot and SourceForge|date=September 19, 2012|archive-date=December 8, 2013|access-date=April 30, 2016}}</ref> In July 2015, Dice announced that it planned to sell SourceForge and Slashdot,<ref name="ars-dhisell">{{cite web
  | title      = DHI Group plans to sell off Slashdot and SourceForge
  | url        = https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/07/dhi-group-plans-to-sell-off-slashdot-and-sourceforge/
  | website    = Ars Technica
  | date = July 28, 2015
 | access-date = February 4, 2016
}}</ref> and, in January 2016, the two sites were sold to the San Diego–based BIZX, LLC for an undisclosed amount.<ref name="sdbj-bizx">{{cite web
  | title      = Slashdot Media Acquired by BIZX for Undisclosed Price
  | url        = https://www.sdbj.com/news/2016/jan/28/slashdot-media-acquired-bizx-undisclosed-price/
  | website    = San Diego Business Journal
  | date = January 28, 2016
 | access-date = February 4, 2016
}}</ref> In December 2019, [[BIZX]] rebranded as [[Slashdot Media]].<ref name="markets.businessinsider.com" />

On September 26, 2012, it was reported that attackers had compromised a SourceForge mirror, and modified a download of [[phpMyAdmin]] to add security exploits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.itworld.com/security/298675/compromised-sourceforge-mirror-distributes-backdoored-phpmyadmin-package |title=Compromised SourceForge mirror distributes backdoored phpMyAdmin package | author = Lucian Constantin | date = September 26, 2012 | website= ITWorld.com |access-date= January 23, 2013}}</ref>

== Installer with adware ==
In July 2013, SourceForge announced that it would provide project owners with an optional feature called ''DevShare'', which places closed-source ad-supported content into the binary installers and gives the project part of the ad revenue.<ref>[[sourceforge:blog/today-we-offer-devshare-beta-a-sustainable-way-to-fund-open-source-software/|Today We Offer DevShare (Beta), A Sustainable Way To Fund Open Source Software | SourceForge Community Blog]]. Sourceforge.net (July 1, 2013). Retrieved on 2013-09-18.</ref> Opinions of this new feature varied; some complained about users not being as aware of what they are getting or being able to trust the downloaded content, whereas others saw it as a reasonably harmless option that keeps individual projects and users in control.<ref>{{cite news |author=Nathan Willis |date=August 21, 2013 |title=SourceForge offering "side-loading" installers |url=https://lwn.net/Articles/564250/ |access-date=September 18, 2013 |website=[[LWN.net]]}}</ref> 

In November 2013, [[GIMP]], a free image manipulation program, removed its download from SourceForge, citing misleading download buttons that potentially confuse customers as well as SourceForge's own Windows installer, which bundles [[potentially unwanted program]]s with GIMP. In a statement, GIMP called SourceForge a "once useful and trustworthy place to develop and host FLOSS applications" that now faces "a problem with the ads they allow on their sites".<ref name="Register: Gimp departs SourceForge">{{cite news |last=Sharwood |first=Simon |date=November 8, 2013 |title=GIMP flees SourceForge over dodgy ads and installer |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/08/gimp_dumps_sourceforge_over_dodgy_ads_and_installer/ |access-date=November 21, 2013 |newspaper=The Register}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=May 27, 2015 |title=GIMP Project's Official Statement on SourceForge's Actions |url=https://www.gimp.org/news/2015/05/27/gimp-projects-official-statement-on-sourceforges-actions/ |access-date=November 23, 2015 |website=GIMP.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=May 27, 2015 |title=SourceForge, What the...? |url=https://www.gimp.org/news/2015/05/27/sourceforge-what-the/ |access-date=November 23, 2015 |website=GIMP.org}}</ref> 
In some cases this program appeared to introduce [[malware]] bundled with SourceForge downloads.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Schofield|first1=Jack|title=Are there any trustworthy sources for downloading software?|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jan/29/are-there-any-trustworthy-sources-for-downloading-software|access-date=May 11, 2015|work=The Guardian|date=January 29, 2015}}</ref> 

In May 2015, SourceForge took control of pages for five projects that had migrated to other hosting sites and replaced the project downloads with [[adware]]-laden downloads, including GIMP.<ref name="arstechnica.com">{{Cite web |date=May 27, 2015 |title=SourceForge grabs GIMP for Windows' account, wraps installer in bundle-pushing adware [Updated] |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/05/sourceforge-grabs-gimp-for-windows-account-wraps-installer-in-bundle-pushing-adware/ |access-date=May 30, 2015}}</ref> This came despite SourceForge's commitment in November 2013 to never bundle adware with project downloads without developers' consent.<ref name="sf-bundle">{{cite web |date=May 27, 2015 |title=GIMP-Win project wasn't hijacked, just abandoned |url=https://sourceforge.net/blog/gimp-win-project-wasnt-hijacked-just-abandoned/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529094757/https://sourceforge.net/blog/gimp-win-project-wasnt-hijacked-just-abandoned/ |archive-date=May 29, 2015 |access-date=April 30, 2016}}</ref><ref name="nmap-hijack">{{cite web |date=June 3, 2015 |title=Sourceforge Hijacks the Nmap Sourceforge Account |url=https://seclists.org/nmap-dev/2015/q2/194 |work=Seclists.org}}</ref> 

On June 1, 2015, SourceForge claimed that they had stopped coupling "third party offers" with unmaintained SourceForge projects.<ref name="sf-20150601">{{cite web |date=June 2015 |title=Third party offers will be presented with Opt-In projects only |url=https://sourceforge.net/blog/third-party-offers-will-be-presented-with-opt-in-projects-only/ |access-date=April 30, 2016}}</ref> After this announcement was made, more developers continued to report that their SourceForge projects had been taken over by SourceForge staff accounts (but have not had binaries edited), including [[nmap]]<ref name="nmap-hijack" /><ref name="ars-nmap">{{cite web |author=Sean Gallagher |date=June 4, 2015 |title=Black "mirror": SourceForge has now seized Nmap audit tool project |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/06/black-mirror-sourceforge-has-now-siezed-nmap-audit-tool-project/ |work=Ars Technica}}</ref> and [[VLC media player]].<ref name="vlc-sf">{{cite web |title=What happened to Sourceforge? |url=https://blog.l0cal.com/2015/06/02/what-happened-to-sourceforge/ |access-date=April 30, 2016}}</ref>
On June 18, 2015, SourceForge announced that SourceForge-maintained mirrored projects were removed and anticipated the formation of a Community Panel to review their mirroring practices.<ref name="sf-20150618">{{cite web |date=June 18, 2015 |title=Project mirroring policies will be revisited with our Community Panel, existing mirrors removed |url=https://sourceforge.net/blog/project-mirroring-policies-will-be-revisited-with-our-community-panel-existing-mirrors-removed/ |access-date=April 30, 2016}}</ref> 

SourceForge discontinued DevShare and the bundling of installers after SourceForge was sold to BizX in early 2016.<ref name="auto3">{{cite web |date=February 12, 2016 |title=New SourceForge owners kill contentious DevShare bloatware program |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/3032490/internet/new-sourceforge-owners-kill-contentious-devshare-bloatware-program.html |work=PCWorld}}</ref><ref name="sourceforge-acquisition-post" /> On May 17, 2016, SourceForge announced that they were now scanning all projects for malware and displaying warnings on projects detected to have malware.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 17, 2016 |title=SourceForge now scans all projects for malware and displays warnings on downloads |url=https://sourceforge.net/blog/sourceforge-now-scans-all-projects-for-malware-and-displays-warnings-on-downloads/ |access-date=October 15, 2016 |website=SourceForge.net}}</ref>

==Usage==
[[File:SF.net Diagramm.png|thumb|upright=1.4|Number of hosted projects, 2000–2010{{update inline|date=May 2015}}]]

{{As of|2013|05}}, the SourceForge repository hosted more than 300,000 projects and had more than 3 million registered users,<ref name="what-is-sourceforge">{{cite web | url=http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/sourceforge/wiki/What%20is%20SourceForge.net| title=What is SourceForge.net? | access-date=May 28, 2013}}</ref> although not all were active. The domain ''sourceforge.net'' attracted at least 33 million visitors by August 2009 according to a [[Compete.com]] survey.<ref name="compete1"/>[[File:SourceForge.net - Download Forbidden.png|thumb|An error message seen by someone attempting to access SourceForge from [[Iran]], an [[ITAR]]-restricted country]]

In its terms of use,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://slashdotmedia.com/terms-of-use/ |title=terms of use |publisher=Slashdot Media |access-date=July 28, 2013}}</ref> SourceForge states that its services are not available to users in countries on the sanction list of the U.S. [[Office of Foreign Assets Control]] (including Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria). Since 2008 the secure server used for making contributions to the site has blocked access from those countries. In January 2010, the site had blocked all access from those countries, including downloads. Any IP address that appeared to belong to one of those countries could not use the site.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sourceforge.net/blog/clarifying-sourceforgenets-denial-of-site-access-for-certain-persons-in-accordance-with-us-law/ |title=Sourceforge blog clarification for denial of access |website=SourceForge.net |date=January 25, 2010 |access-date=April 19, 2012}}</ref> By the following month, SourceForge relaxed the restrictions so that individual projects could indicate whether or not SourceForge should block their software from download to those countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sourceforge.net/blog/some-good-news-sourceforge-removes-blanket-blocking/ |title=Some good news: SourceForge removes blanket blocking |website=SourceForge.net |date=February 8, 2010 |access-date=February 7, 2014}}</ref> This, however, had been reversed by November 2020 for North Korea and other countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sourceforge.net/p/forge/site-support/21449/|title=Downloads in North Korea and other countries|website=SourceForge.net |access-date=April 13, 2021}}</ref> [[Crimea]] has been blocked since February 1, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://geektimes.ru/post/245442/|title=SourceForge заблокировал скачивание файлов для крымских ip-адресов|date=February 6, 2015|publisher=GeekTimes.ru }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://alushta24.org/blog/SourceForge_zablokiroval_skachivanie_faylov_dlya_kryimskih_ip-adresov |title=SourceForge заблокировал скачивание файлов для крымских ip-адресов| publisher=alushta24.org }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://tjournal.ru/2618-sourceforge-net-zablokirovan-na-territorii-kryma |title=SourceForge.net заблокирован на территории Крыма }}</ref>{{better source needed|date=February 2015}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
* [[Comparison of source-code-hosting facilities]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}}
* [https://www.datamation.com/open-source/the-sourceforge-story/ "The SourceForge Story"], by James Maguire (2007-10-17)

{{Bug tracking systems}}
{{FOSS}}

[[Category:Free software websites]]
[[Category:Geeknet]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 1999]]
[[Category:Internet services supporting OpenID]]
[[Category:Open-source software hosting facilities]]
[[Category:Git repository hosting websites]]