Re: DCO: Was: Re: Contributing to gdb

NightStrike via Gdb
2024-06-28T00:44:10Z

On Tue, Jun 18, 2024 at 7:55 AM Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> wrote:
> > From: Arsen Arsenović <arsen@aarsen.me>
> > I've, for a long time, avoided contributing to projects with 'legal
> > routine' requirements (DCO included) due to the implications of sharing
> > real names.
>
> There's no need to share a real name. The assignments on file have
> quite a few names that are withheld, with only a pseudonym on file.
> This is a non-issue, for all practical purposes. And, as you point
> out, using DCOs doesn't change this aspect in any way.

Is this really true? I was denied being able to work on GCC for this
reason (many years ago, before DCO), because I refused to reveal my
PII. I pointed out that a real-sounding fake name is no better than a
fake-sounding fake name, which eventually led to someone (I think Ian)
explaining that sharing your name is only the first step in validating
someone's identity. I never pursued it further.

Can you please explain how copyright assignments are validated if you
don't have to share your real name, as opposed to providing a
real-sounding fake name? This one point has prevented my own
contributions since 2008; I've limited myself to simply running tests
and opening PR's.