The Context#
If you see forgejo/forgejo or mozilla/firefox, you immediately assume you’re looking at the “real” project, or at least something closely related. Names carry trust, history, and expectations.
But most platforms work on a simple rule: first come, first served.
That works well until it doesn’t. A random account grabs a well‑known project name, does nothing with it, and suddenly the actual maintainers have to beg, negotiate, or move to an awkward alternative spelling. Users get confused. Search results look sketchy. People waste time figuring out what’s “official” and what isn’t.
We don’t want OpenCommit to be a place where important project names are held hostage or used to mislead people. At the same time, we don’t want a secret list of “VIPs only” names either.
How We Think About This#
We see names on OpenCommit as shared infrastructure: they’re both identifiers and promises.
A few principles guide our thinking:
Names are for projects and users, not for speculation.
Claiming a well‑known project or user name just to sit on it, redirect it elsewhere, or confuse people goes against the spirit of what we’re trying to build.
Familiar names should lead to familiar projects
If you search for a widely‑known FLOSS project and see it on OpenCommit, you should have a reasonable expectation that it’s actually them. Or clearly marked as not.
We still like “first come, first served”
For the vast majority of user and organisation names, the simple rule is fine and predictable. We don’t want a system of special treatment for whoever shouts the loudest.
We’ll intervene only where it really matters
We maintain a focused list of reserved names for significant projects and entities. Those names aren’t up for grabs like normal ones, and we’ll help legitimate owners claim them.
We’ll only intervene in clear cases of abuse or name squatting.
Interventions should be public and transparent
In the (hopefully) rare cases that we do intervene, we err on the side of caution. In favor of the current owner of the name. We also want to be transparent and publicly document the outcome of any intervention.
This is our way of balancing openness with responsibility: keeping things simple for most users, while protecting well‑known projects from avoidable drama.
What We Commit To#
Here’s how we handle name squatting and reserved names on OpenCommit, in concrete terms.
We commit to:
Using “first come, first served” as the default rule
For regular user and organisation names that are not on our reserved list, the first person to register a name gets it, as long as they follow our Terms Of Use.
Maintaining a limited, documented list of reserved names
We keep a list of user and organisation names that:
- Are widely recognised in the FLOSS ecosystem,
- Represent important public or institutional entities that could easily be impersonated, or
- We otherwise consider relevant or important.
These names are pre-registered by our team and clearly marked as such.
Helping real project owners claim their reserved names
If your project or organisation is on our reserved list, you can request the corresponding name. We may ask you to prove that you are who you say you are, for example by:
- Using a known domain email address,
- Adding a verification note to your existing website or docs,
- Or other reasonable verification methods.
Once verified, we’ll transfer the name to your control.
Acting on clear cases of name squatting or impersonation
If someone is using a name in a way that clearly misleads users or otherwise abuses a name, we may for example:
- Rename the squatting account,
- Reserve the name, and/or help the legitimate project claim it.
Documenting the process in plain language
Our goal is that maintainers can understand:
- Whether a name is reserved,
- How to request a reserved name, and
- What to do if they suspect someone is impersonating their project.
We will not:
Quietly reassign ordinary names just because a more “famous” person or project shows up later, unless there’s clear impersonation or abuse.
Treat the reserved names list as a general brand‑protection service for anyone who asks; it’s focused on cases where user confusion and harm are likely.
Make arbitrary one‑off exceptions that contradict the principles above.
What We Ask From You#
To keep naming fair and clear, we ask that you:
Choose names in good faith
Don’t register well‑known project or organisation names that you have no connection to, especially if you’re not planning to use them.
Signal clearly if you’re a fork, mirror, or fan project
If you create a derivative or unofficial project, choose a name that makes that obvious, instead of mimicking the original as closely as possible.
Tell us if you’re being impersonated
If you’re a maintainer of a project and you see a suspiciously familiar name on OpenCommit, let us know. The more evidence you can provide (project website, repository elsewhere, existing community, etc.), the faster we can respond.
Help us improve the reserved list
If you believe your project (or someone else’s) should be on our reserved names list because impersonation would cause real confusion or harm, you can reach out and explain why.
We can’t promise we’ll add every request because we want to keep the list short, but we’ll definitely listen.
How This Might Evolve#
Our platform is growing, and so is the list of project or organization names that are registered on it. Some might collide with other projects due to pure hapenstance and some will be cases of squatting or abuse.
We expect that:
Our reserved names list will start small and conservative, and may grow as more projects join OpenCommit.
We’ll try to keep our reserved names list short.
Our verification process may become more automated.
We’ll refine our guidelines based on real cases where something went wrong.
We’ll update rules that weren’t clear enough.
When we make significant changes to how we handle names, we’ll:
- Update this policy in plain language,
- Make it clear what changed, and how it affects existing accounts & organisations.
In the meantime, our goal is simple: names on OpenCommit should help you find the right people and projects. They should not get in your way.