Microsoft's real reason for purchasing GitHub has now become clear | Your private GitHub repositories aren't actually "private" anymore

[AlTech]

It looks like Microsoft's reason for purchasing GitHub has now become more apparent. It's all about the Data.

 

Microsoft is using data from private GitHub repositories to help enhance it's Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning aspects of the upcoming Visual Studio release(s).

 

Previously Microsoft was using data from public GitHub repositories to enhance their AI powered platforms. Although it doesn't seem to have worked out for them since they resorted to buying GitHub for Data.

 

Quote

The centerpiece of Microsoft's developer tools remains Visual Studio, and a first preview of its 2019 edition is now available to download. It integrates the awesome Live Share feature first demonstrated last year and expands IntelliCode, a machine-learning-driven extension to the IntelliSense developer assistance that's been a part of Visual Studio for ages. IntelliCode examines source code repositories to build models of a range of different things, from code formatting preferences to library usage and development patterns.

Currently, IntelliCode works with C# in Visual Studio and Python in Visual Studio Code. It does so by using GitHub's open source repositories as its training data. Visual Studio 2019 expands this to enable analysis of private repositories. It also increases the language compatibility; Visual Studio will add C++ and XAML support, while Visual Studio Code will pick up JavaScript, TypeScript, and Java support.

 

I'm quite surprised although I should have known better considering Microsoft's track record.

 

Source

[LukeSavenije]

oh fun! we're talking user data again!

[vorticalbox]

4 minutes ago, LukeSavenije said:

oh fun! we're talking user data again!

Not user just all their private code.

 

I can't see this being acceptable depending on the licence the code is released underder.

[GoodBytes]

Wow.. how did you twist that one up?

All it says is that the coming up Visual Studio has a feature that allows you to to simply put a URL of a git project and import it for you to get started more quickly, and configure Visual Studio coding style with the one detected.

 

This has NOTHING to do with buying GitHub... It just executes Git clone command on the back to fetch the project for you, and guess the coding style it puts to configure your Visual Studio to follow. It is just a quick starting feature.

[CharminUltraStrong]

12 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

 

I'm quite surprised although I should have known better considering Microsoft's track record.

 

Source

"Training data" lul. Yeah I'm sure all those Discord Server Nuke scripts and Roblox hack scripts are good for "training".

[2FA]

Is there a reason your wording is just ambiguous enough to imply MS is doing something more nefarious other than improving IntelliCode? Or that is even nefarious at all?

[AlTech]

Just now, GoodBytes said:

All it says is that the coming up Visual Studio has a feature that allows you to to simply put a URL of a git project and import it for you to get started more quickly, and configure Visual Studio coding style with the one detected.

Re-read the bit I quoted.

Just now, GoodBytes said:

This has NOTHING to do with buying GitHub

yes it does.

[GoodBytes]

1 minute ago, AluminiumTech said:

Re-read the bit I quoted.

I have... how about you?

 

1 minute ago, AluminiumTech said:

yes it does.

No it does not. You have no idea what you are talking about, and spreading false information, which means a lot more work from me correcting people.

[AlTech]

2 minutes ago, GoodBytes said:

Haters are haters... I am voting to lock this thread and move it out.

Silencing any negative news about Microsoft just because it's negative isn't appropriate.

 

There is a genuine news topic here however it has been presented and I will be speaking to Whiskers about this.

[PlayStation 2]

Here's the thing: we're spinning a genuine news story into "the REALLY REAL REAL reason [x] bought [y]" and frankly, it's not funny nor professional. I'm not saying there isn't a genuine story underneath; this SHOULD blow the fuck up, but this is salacious and sensational.

[GoodBytes]

4 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

Silencing any negative news about Microsoft just because it's negative isn't appropriate.

It has NOTHING to do with negative news. You are making up news!

 

 

4 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

 

There is a genuine news topic here however it has been presented and I will be speaking to Whiskers about this.

Oh allow me.

[AlTech]

1 minute ago, GoodBytes said:

It has NOTHING to do with negative news. You are making up news!

It's not made up. I did not fabricate any part of this news topic and if you genuinely believe that, then I would be happy to talk to you or anybody else about it in a PM.

[GoodBytes]

3 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

It's not made up. I did not fabricate any part of this news topic and if you genuinely believe that, then I would be happy to talk to you or anybody else about it in a PM.

Yes it is! You can't even quote me anything you said in the news.

[Tech Enthusiast]

27 minutes ago, GoodBytes said:

Haters are haters... I am voting to lock this thread and move it out.

I agree.

We get enough click bait - lying news from official networks. No need to allow this stuff in the LinusTechTipps community as well.

 

Improving Software and allowing to parse a link you have access to is not even remotely close to what the OP suggests. Not even the same ballpark.

[AlTech]

13 minutes ago, GoodBytes said:

Yes it is! You can't even quote me anything you said in the news.

Everything I quoted from the source is relevant.

[Tech Enthusiast]

----- snip ------

 

Original source: Microsoft is selling soft ice at a park and asks their customers what flavour they like best.

 

Article: Microsoft bought an Ice van. Now we know what they really wanted! They use it to feed sugar to children, so they all get fat and need the new fitness watch Microsoft is about to release a year after! But they get worse, they even try to extract information to fuel the ice addiction further. When will the madness stop?!

[Mira Yurizaki]

Did the licenses of the source code they used to train the AI say "YOU MAY NOT USE THIS IN ANY COMMERCIAL PRODUCT, PERIOD"?

 

Pretty sure the #1 license on GitHub was MIT, which is very permissive about the use of the source code. So that's plenty of data for an AI to gobble up. Also even if it wasn't Microsoft, would anyone still have this knee-jerk reaction of "ew, [company name here]"

[Ashley MLP Fangirl]

as far as i can tell they are using open-source code to help the program learn in some way. so they are analyzing code that everyone is free to view and use. 

 

what's the problem? am i right about this @GoodBytes? 

 

i'm usually against Microsoft, but this seems harmless.

[AlTech]

Just now, M.Yurizaki said:

Did the licenses of the source code they used to train the AI say "YOU MAY NOT USE THIS IN ANY COMMERCIAL PRODUCT, PERIOD"?

 

Pretty sure the #1 license on GitHub was MIT, which is very permissive about the use of the source code. So that's plenty of data for an AI to gobble up.

This isn't an issue regarding public repositories. Public repositories were fair game because public repositories are for the most part open source although a small number of them are still protected by Copyright.

 

The issue being talked about is code in private github repositories which GitHub has a limited permission to use or do stuff with but Microsoft most certainly does not currently.

[AlTech]

Just now, firelighter487 said:

as far as i can tell they are using open-source code to help the program learn in some way. so they are analyzing code that everyone is free to view and use. 

 

what's the problem?

They were using open source code and now they're using proprietary code from private GitHub repositories which don't belong to them.

 

[Mira Yurizaki]

Just now, AluminiumTech said:

The issue being talked about is code in private github repositories which GitHub has a limited permission to use or do stuff with but Microsoft most certainly does not currently.

And where does it say that it used private repositories?

[AlTech]

Just now, M.Yurizaki said:

And where does it say that it used private repositories?

Quote

Currently, IntelliCode works with C# in Visual Studio and Python in Visual Studio Code. It does so by using GitHub's open source repositories as its training data. Visual Studio 2019 expands this to enable analysis of private repositories. 

 

[brwainer]

I agree with the above posters who say that this article is being misread as bigger than it really is. From reading the sources, it sounds to me like Visual Studio 2019 will have a feature for individual developers to link their private repositories for the software to scan and give them personalized coding suggestions. I did not get the impression from the sources that Microsft is treating each and every private repository as free reign for them to use.

[givingtnt]

I'm sorry, but then again, really I'm not.

[Ganz]

I was at the microsoft event in which the announced the visual studio 2019 preview and a lot on where they talked about this.  They use open source github repositories for some features including a new (and incredible) feature called Intellicode for AI assisted intellisense.  Private is not open source.

They offered the capabilities to add your own private codebase so it can learn your own habits (such as business) and that learning only applies to you. It does not share that with others.