Redis Is Open Source Again  🔗 **Source:** [Redis Is Open Source Again](https://search.app/zMEYxYvDN2zH6qrKA) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: [#Redis #OpenSource #AGPL] > - #Redis > - #OpenSource > - #AGPL > Author: Frederic Lardinois > Source: The New Stack > Reference: https://thenewstack.io/redis-is-open-source-again/ > date created: 2025-05-04 16:10 > > # Title: Redis Is Open Source Again > <!-- deep-read:sections start --> ## Table of Contents: - [📝 Summary](#📝-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#📖-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#🗒️-notes) - [📖 References](#📖-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#🗣️-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#📰-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#✅-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#🧪-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#📊-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#❓-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#🔮-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#💡-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#🧠-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#📊-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#🌍-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical validity](#✅-logical-validity) - [🔍 DARVO Analysis Prompt](#🔍-darvo-analysis-prompt) - [🔍 SEO Evaluation](#🔍-seo-evaluation) - [🎯 Conclusion](#🎯-conclusion) ### References: - The New Stack: “Redis Is Open Source Again” :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} - Redis Blog: “Redis now available under AGPLv3” :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} ## 📝 Summary: After a year under source-available SSPL/RSAL licensing, Redis Labs has re-licensed Redis 8.0 under AGPLv3, restoring OSI-approved open-source status and aiming to mend community relations :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}. ## 📖 Main Content: Key points: 1. **Licensing Flip-Flop** - Redis 6.x switched off BSD-3 to SSPL/RSAL in March 2024, prompting forks like Valkey. - On May 1, 2025, Redis 8.0 released under AGPLv3 :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}. 2. **Rationale** - Antirez emphasizes open-source roots and community trust. - AGPL chosen to balance freedom with provider protections. 3. **Community Reaction** - Mixed: welcome by many but skepticism remains (“the well has been poisoned”) :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}. 4. **Business Impact** - Cloud vendors still wary; RedisLabs hopes AGPL satisfies both users and partners. 5. **Future Outlook** - Will AGPL re-open contributions and slow fragmentation? - Valkey’s momentum poses continued competition. ### 🗒️ Notes - **2024 Change** - Redis Labs abandoned BSD-3 for SSPL/RSAL v2 in March 2024. - Community created Valkey fork in response. - **2025 Reversion** - Redis 8.0 tri-licensed: BSD-3, SSPL/RSAL, and AGPLv3. - Official announcement on Redis.io blog :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}. - **Antirez’s Blog** - “I wrote Vector Sets with enthusiasm because I knew Redis was going open source again” :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}. - **Community Voices** - Reddit: “Redis seems to be Open Source again!!!” but some say “the well has been poisoned” :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}. - **Competitive Forks** - Valkey gaining traction with BSD-3 license. - **License Implications** - AGPLv3 ensures network-use share-alike; addresses cloud-provider loopholes. ## 📖 References: - Redis Blog: “Redis now available under AGPLv3” - Antirez’s announcement: antirez.com/news/151 ## 🗣️ Paraphrase: 1. **Original**: “Returning back to an open source license is the basis for such efforts to be coherent with the Redis project… and to contribute to a human collective effort larger than any single company.” **Paraphrase:** Re-embracing an OSI-approved license aligns Redis’s development with its community, fostering collaborative progress beyond corporate interests :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}. 2. **Original**: “Redis has reverted to open-source with Redis 8 now available under an AGPL licence – just a year after it controversially ditched its BSD licence…” **Paraphrase:** One year after moving away from BSD, Redis 8 is once again offered under AGPLv3, effectively restoring its open-source credentials :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}. ## 📰 Newsletter: Redis is back in the open-source fold! Version 8.0 now ships under AGPLv3, alongside legacy BSD-3 and SSPL/RSAL options. Learn why Antirez and the team made the pivot, what the community (and Valkey) thinks, and how it impacts cloud usage. Read our deep dive 📖: https://thenewstack.io/redis-is-open-source-again/ ## ✅ Action Items: “Tell me how Redis’s AGPL re-licensing aligns with my GoDaddy Developer Advocate work in open-source stewardship, contributor recruitment, and shaping OSPO policies on sustainable licensing.” ## 🧪 Hypotheses: - AGPLv3 will increase external PRs by 25% within six months. - Cloud-provider adoption of Redis rises by 15% post-AGPL change. - Developer sentiment survey scores on trust will improve by 30%. ### 📊 Methodology: - **Data Sources:** GitHub PR/issue metrics; cloud usage logs; community surveys. - **Design:** Before/after comparative study over six months. - **Analysis:** Statistical significance testing (t-tests) on contribution and adoption data. ### ❓ Questions: - Will AGPL licensing deter or attract cloud vendors? - Can Redis Labs win back former contributors alienated by SSPL? - How will Valkey’s BSD-3 fork evolve in response? ### 🔮 Future Research: - Longitudinal study on performance of AGPL-licensed modules. - Impact analysis of licensing shifts on ecosystem fragmentation. - Economic modeling of open-source vs source-available ROI. ### 💡 Implications: A successful AGPL reversion could set a precedent for other projects caught between open-source ideals and commercial protection—informing OSPO license strategies and contributor engagement best practices. ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment: **Readability:** Flesch-Kincaid Grade 11. 1. **Visual** - Present: License logos. - Improve: Timeline infographic of licensing changes. 2. **Aural** - Present: None. - Improve: Podcast clip with Antirez. 3. **Verbal** - Present: Rich quotes. - Improve: Use analogies describing licensing as “trust contracts.” 4. **Kinesthetic** - Present: Commands to check license. - Improve: Interactive license-switch demo. 5. **Logical** - Present: Licensing timeline logic. - Improve: Flowchart of fork vs revert decision process. 6. **Social** - Present: Reddit and Hacker News threads. - Improve: Host live community debate. 7. **Solitary** - Present: Reflection on community trust. - Improve: Journal prompt: “What license would you choose?” 8. **Naturalistic** - Present: None. - Improve: Use ecosystem metaphors for licensing “branches.” ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment: - **Screen Reader:** Semantically structured; add alt-text for logos. - **Keyboard:** Links focusable; ensure skip-to-content. - **Contrast:** License colors high contrast. - **Resizing:** Responsive layout assured. ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment: - **Cultural Relevance:** Global user perspectives; add non-English community voices. - **Inclusive Language:** Neutral; explain SSPL/RSAL acronyms. - **Neurodiversity:** Break long paragraphs; add bullet summaries. - **Representation:** Cite contributors from diverse backgrounds. - **Psychological Safety:** No sensitive content. ### ✅ Logical validity: - **Causal Reasoning:** License change → trust restoration; supported by quotes. - **Balanced Views:** Acknowledges skepticism (“well poisoned”). - **Fallacy Check:** - **Hasty Generalization:** Assuming all community will return; recommend surveying a broad sample first. ### 🔍 DARVO Analysis Prompt 1. **Deny:** No denial of past mistakes by Redis Labs. 2. **Attack:** No ad hominem toward critics. 3. **Reverse Victim:** Absent. ### 🔍 SEO Evaluation: 1. **Keywords:** “Redis 8,” “AGPLv3,” “open source.” 2. **Meta Description:** Add ~155-char summary. 3. **Title Tag:** Includes primary keywords; ~50 chars. 4. **Headers:** Good H2 usage; ensure keywords in subheads. 5. **Length:** ~800 words; consider deeper analysis for advanced users. 6. **Links:** Internal to Redis.io; external coverage links. 7. **URL:** Clean slug. 8. **Alt Text:** Needed for license icons. 9. **Mobile:** Responsive design. 10. **Engagement:** CTA to community survey. 11. **Schema:** Article markup recommended. 12. **Social:** Open Graph and Twitter Card tags. ## 🎯 Conclusion: Re-embracing AGPLv3 marks Redis’s recommitment to open-source values, but rebuilding trust and outpacing forks like Valkey will test whether code alone can heal community rifts. <!-- deep-read:sections end --> 📄 **Full text:** ![[Full Document Contents/Articles/Redis Is Open Source Again|Redis Is Open Source Again, Frederic Lardinois]] ## Highlights - Redis does not believe that the Valkey fork has made much of a dent in the overall [Redis community](https://thenewstack.io/valkey-is-a-different-kind-of-fork/). “We have 98% of the people that actually contributed to Redis open source work for Redis. The people that are on the foundation of Valkey really were more of the fringe contributors, with the one exception of Madelyn [Olson], who is a good contributor,” Trollope said — and immediately walked that back. “That sounds more pejorative than I needed to be. We respect those people. We love that they’re doing that. We would like them to be contributors on Redis again.” ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01jtk10kehmp4kyqtczkw3badn))