From the article: <i>"I wrote "your data is accessible", but actually I should rather write "your data is currently accessible". Theoretically, nothing prevents GitHub from removing programmatic access to parts of the data they host."</i><p>Do their terms of service permit them to do that? Unfortunately, yes: <i>"GitHub reserves the right at any time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, your access to the API (or any part thereof) with or without notice. ... GitHub, in its sole discretion, has the right to suspend or terminate your account and refuse any and all current or future use of the Service, or any other GitHub service, for any reason at any time. Such termination of the Service will result in the deactivation or deletion of your Account or your access to your Account, and the forfeiture and relinquishment of all Content in your Account. GitHub reserves the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason at any time. In the event that GitHub takes action to suspend or terminate an account, we will make a reasonable effort to provide the affected account owner with a copy of their account contents upon request, unless the account was suspended or terminated due to unlawful conduct."</i><p>That's a problem. A management change at Github could have a big effect on open source software. This isn't a theoretical issue; Google Code was shut down, and Sourceforge turned to the dark side and started bundling adware with downloads.<p>It would be useful if a nonprofit such as the Internet Archive or the Wikimedia Foundation mirrored Github periodically. Just in case Github management got uppity.