# Require Open Source for Password Managers

**URL:** https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/require-open-source-for-password-managers/12480
**Category:** Site Development
**Created:** 2023-04-24T23:43:32Z
**Posts:** 440
**Showing post:** 136 of 440

## Post 136 by @jonah — 2024-11-24T09:59:10Z

> [@Anon47486929](#):
>
> So the question can be reframed to: Why not open source now. And this question should keep echoing as tech changes.

I don’t really think so, personally. Without an active/direct reason to change a current criteria I think the recommendations should be left as-is. In other words:

> [@Niek-de-Wilde](#):
>
> We can undo a decision that was made before, but only if new information or a new point of view came to light that we have not taken in before.

* * *

I don’t think we should start removing products with no clear deficiencies purely because other products improved themselves. This kind of churn is confusing to readers.

I see changes like this as promoting instability in the privacy space, which is a common complaint among people learning about the topic and seeking tool recommendations. This is why we add and remove tools cautiously.

Basically, the way I think about it is:

- When we **add** new tools, we need a strong justification on why they are substantially **better** than the alternatives.
- When we **remove** existing tools, we need a strong justification on why they are substantially **worse** than the alternatives.

I don’t think this second justification is met simply based on open source alone.

* * *

> [@Niek-de-Wilde](#):
>
> the listing of 1password and the change of the criteria are two seperate discussions.

Yes, but as far as I know there are zero reasons to delist 1Password given in the [Remove 1Password](https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/remove-1password/13921) thread besides the desire to make the criteria change in this thread.

And on the other hand, making the proposed criteria change here would affect 1Password exclusively.

So these topics are related, this is just a more specific discussion.

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