Why publish it on GitHub?

Github is a major website where software developers share their code and collaborate on developing new computer systems.

But computer systems in their raw state are just files of text. It can be used by anyone to collaborate on shared text.

But it equally it allows anyone to fork this draft bill and collaborate on their own distinct version of it. The text is licensed under the Create Commons Attribution (V4) License.

A number of legislatures like Washington DC and the New York State Senate already publish their law on GitHub.

There are two things that make it particular useful.

Firstly multiple changes can be suggested and there are mechanisms to manage clashing ones.

Secondly two versions can be compared line-by-line.

The starting version of the Act of Voluntary Union is clearly an SNP-flavoured one. A world in which there is a Labour-flavoured one as well is easily imaginable. Github would enable the one to be compared against the other.

Don’t panic

If you want to have a go at improving our draft but don’t know how to, if the thought of GitHub scares you, get in touch, I will help - gordon@hypernumbers.com

If your group has almost anyone in tech involved they will know how to use it too, so ask around.