If only Etherpad had done so in the first place.
I think it's better for something to be open source when its creator wants it to be open, not because they're forced to.
I hope we're able to demonstrate to their M&A team that moves like this hurt their reputation and make it harder for them to hire & acquire.
But I would expect a company at their stage to communicate clearly and consistently about promises they make to the community, execute against them, and then issue prompt apologies with explanations and timelines when they don't follow through.
Maybe or maybe not. I don't see any evidence (yet at least) that shows this is either Dropbox's or the original team's doing. I'm curious as to why they'd announce it then not go through with it without saying something to the community.
Is it really entitled to hold someone (even a company) to their plain word, even if not legally binding? At least, in the absence of further communication I think it's reasonable to start making some noise at this point. If Hackpad were to say they need more time, that would be another issue. (I have no stake or familiarity with this project.)
Um, because marketing announcements that turn out to be lies warrant a reputational penalty?
Just not answering, not answering mail etc. is the worst thing you can do.
notes.dropbox.com
