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Hijacking Trust? Bitvise Under Fire for Controlling Domain of FOSS Project PuTTY
In the open-source world, trust, transparency, and community stewardship form the foundation of public credibility. But a recent case involving the domain name putty.org calls these values into question. The domain, long associated by users with PuTTY, the widely-used open-source SSH and Telnet clie
This statement — sent via the company’s official support channel — raises serious concerns not only about Bitvise’s domain practices, but also about its conduct, professionalism, and treatment of individuals engaging in legitimate inquiry. The incident reflects a pattern: rather than addressing substantive criticism about its use of the putty.org domain, Bitvise has responded with deflection, hostility, and now a personal attack on a journalist — further distancing itself from the transparency and accountability expected in both commercial and open-source communities. As the open-source community continues to grapple with questions of ownership, sustainability, and trust, this case serves as a potent example of how ethical lines can blur in the space between legality and legitimacy.
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