alexopensource

Hey Hacker News,

I’m a co-founder of OpenSign, an open-source alternative to DocuSign. Recently, something concerning happened in our project that I believe the community should know about.

Someone has forked OpenSign and is attempting to strip all paid plan restrictions, replacing our project logos with their own. They even submitted a PR for these changes. While this technically complies with the AGPLv3 license that OpenSign is built on, it raises ethical questions about how open-source projects should operate.

OpenSign was designed to provide accessible, open-source e-signature tools while sustaining development through optional paid plans. This move doesn’t just undercut those plans—it undermines the sustainability of the project itself.

We’re committed to the open-source ethos, but forks like this create a dangerous precedent, especially when they explicitly try to hijack the original project's identity and monetization strategy.

I’d love to hear your thoughts—should open-source projects have more safeguards? Is this just "fair game" in the open-source world? How do we as a community draw ethical boundaries while respecting open-source licenses?

Let’s discuss!

Here’s a quick rundown of the new features we’ve added:

1. Template-Based Document Creation: Streamline your workflow with the ability to create and share documents using pre-saved templates.

2. Enhanced Signature Customization: Now includes options to input signatures in various text formats and fonts, adding a personalized touch to your documents.

3. Improved Placeholder Management UI: A more intuitive and user-friendly interface for managing signature placeholders, including enhanced resizing capabilities.

4. Efficient Document Organization Tools: New functionalities to delete and move documents within the OpenSign™ drive for better file management.

5. Seamless Email Integration: Easily send signed documents via email directly from the platform, enhancing the document signing and sharing process.

6. Cross-Device Placeholder Compatibility: Ensures consistent placeholder experiences across both mobile and desktop platforms.

7. Customizable User Support Options: Includes a ‘don’t show again’ option for help guides and direct links for easy communication with the OpenSign team.

8. Key Bug Fixes and Performance Enhancements: Addressing various user-reported issues for a smoother, more reliable OpenSign™ experience.

These updates aim to make OpenSign™ a stronger contender in the open source digital signing space, rivalling traditional solutions like DocuSign with a community-driven, user-centric approach.

Absolutely. The potential sale of DocuSign could indeed be a pivotal moment for its current customers & OpenSign™. This uncertainty might be a perfect opportunity for users to explore alternatives like OpenSign™.

OpenSign™ offers a robust and user-friendly solution that aligns with the needs of those looking for stability and consistency in their document management and e-signature processes. As an open-source platform, OpenSign™ is not only free but also constantly evolving with contributions from a community focused on reliability and innovation.

For those considering a switch, now might be an ideal time to test OpenSign™ and experience the benefits of an open-source, community-driven alternative. Plus, being part of our user community means having a say in the future developments of the tool. It's a win-win for users seeking control and quality in their e-signature solutions.

Not sure what you are trying to say. The product had been in development for a long time - around 6-7 months. How do you think the news of DocuSign exploring a sale will impact us?

Dear hacker news community, We would love to get your feedback on what is that one thing that you would like to change/improve in your current document signing solution?

We have recently released v1.0.6-beta version of OpenSign, the leading open source document signing solution, marking a significant step forward in the development journey. This release encapsulates numerous bug fixes and feature enhancements, highlighting our team's commitment to providing a robust and user-friendly product. In this blog post, we delve into the key changes and improvements introduced in this version.

Key Improvements and Fixes

1. Multiple Annotations in Single File: A fix has been made to address issues with handling multiple annotations in a single file, enhancing the software's efficiency in managing complex documents.

2. Document Signature and Certificate Issue Fixes: Significant fixes were made to the 'need-your-sign' report, document signature, and certificate issues, further solidifying the software's reliability in handling legal documents.

3. Mobile view Enhancements:

Adjustments were made to the location of requested signature placeholders in the mobile "Request Signatures" flow, improving user experience on mobile devices.

4. SMTP Email Integration:

The introduction of SMTP for sending emails marks a notable feature enhancement, expanding the software's capabilities in terms of communication and notifications.

5. Sanitized Output Filenames:

A critical fix has been implemented to sanitize output filenames, ensuring better security and data integrity.

6. Enhanced Modal Titles and Verification Mail Alerts:

The modal title for login now includes additional information, and the verification mail alert message has been updated for clarity.

7. UI and Security Refinements:

Various minor UI changes and security improvements were implemented, reflecting an ongoing effort to refine the user experience and bolster security measures.

OpenSign v1.0.6-beta is more than just an incremental update, it's a testament to the continuous evolution of a software dedicated to simplifying digital signatures. Each fix and feature enhancement is a step towards a more efficient, secure, robust and user-friendly digital signature process. For developers, entrepreneurs and businesses relying on digital signatures, this update offers an array of improvements that streamline operations and enhance security protocols.

As OpenSign continues to evolve, it remains a significant tool for professionals seeking a reliable and efficient open source digital signature solution. This release not only addresses immediate issues but also lays the groundwork for more innovative features and improvements in future releases.

Can you please clarify or provide more context regarding your question?

What UI looks ugly to you? The website or the app itself or the github readme linked above? We would appreciate any precise feedback.

Hopefully people will say “OpenSigned” one day and it will have the same impact.

We will be supporting more storage providers including self hosting soon.

You are right. But there are many Individuals/companies who cannot benefit from DocuSign's trust because of the price tag. We want to provide them the free/ open source option and during the process build a brand that is equally trusted if not more than DocuSign.

True. Even if one party from the signers dont trust e-sign, it wont work. But the number of people thinking an E-signature is good is only increasing day by day.

I agree. This is the result of being surrounded by developers all day long lol. Will try to focus more on the business problem.

In the hosted version, we sign the document on behalf of the user using our own private key. Our roadmap also has the feature to bring your own cert(not relevant here). As soon as a user signs a document, a copy of the signed document is instantly sent to all the parties involved. This ensures that the signer cannot revoke the documents already signed. If the receiving party tries to modify the document, the signature becomes invalid. This is how we make sure that the docs are "tamper-proof" after signing.

Great insights. The hosted version functions in a more or less same way as DocuSign with an added advantage of knowing what the code is doing under the hood. We dont intend to provide root/admin privileges as its going to be a multi-tenant system at the end of the day.

You are right, that is precisely the route we will also have to take for certain regions. For example in India, there are only 3 entities that are authorized by the government to enable Aadhaar based e-signature. We will have to integrate with any of those in order to be compliant. We have already started working in this direction.

They began when Digital signatures were not understood well even by legal professionals. Somewhere fear might have came in picture. Today, its easier to digest the fact that digital signatures are just cryptographic functions that guarantee the authenticity and integrity of documents and various actions on those docs. Plus the legal framework around it is better defined now. I am confident that we will be able to change the perception and make this the de-facto digital signing solution. The movement has just began, there is a long way ahead.

The self hosted version will always be free :)

That is a great input, we need to put efforts into ensuring that we are seen as a long term player, in-fact we envision to be one, assuming some contracts might be really long term. I hope a day comes when you trust us enough :)

We take pride in being open source as we are sure being open source brings a lot more transparency in the entire process. When it comes to the authenticity of a signed document, the cryptographic proofs generated by our solution and digital traces are no different than those generated by DocuSign. It will hold equally true in any court. We understand that we might need some time to be universally acceptable in terms of the perception of the people, but we are confident that we will reach there.

Saved the info in my notes. Will discuss it with our counsel in the next meeting. Thanks :)

Our understanding is that DocuSign does not have any legal authority, they prove the chain of custody/modifications using digital traces which our solution can also do, arguably in a more open way.

Its really important to preserve the integrity of the document during the signing process because of which modifications other than annotations are currently not allowed. We are building this to support an open architecture(micro frontend based add-ons). The two add-ons currently under development are - - A document organizer for signed/in-progress documents as we believe organizing legal documents is very different from organizing regular files as the user should be able to visually identify the status of the document and just hover on a document to see the current status of signers, etc. - An AI based assistant that will allow you to get any clause of a contract re-worded, explained, analysed for risks, etc.(we dont intend to replace lawyers here) Once we have these plugins ready. You will be able to create/modify docs before signing.

Thanks for the suggestion. We will definitely consider this. We have just released v1 48hrs before. We are working hard to put together a usage guide with docusaurus. You will see huge updates to documentation soon.

We are working on all these features, even an optional webcam capture during signing. This is just the beginning. Even with current features we are arguably the most complete solution in this space in open-source world.

We also generate a completion certificate that has the time & ip addresses of everyone who accessed and modified a doc during the entire signing process, plus we are open source which means more transparent. We plan to publish a lot of content in that space but with limited resources currently we plan to build the product features first. Also, we are soon going to start our fund raise efforts which will ultimately speed up things.

It depends on jurisdiction you are located in and the level of legal safety and acceptance you need. Our solution is already able to digitally sign the document which kind of makes it tamper proof and electronically sign(draw annotations) which will have you covered in most regions. Some regions have specific laws for example India has IT Act 2000, UETA & ESIGN Act while Europe has eIDAS.

Thanks for asking the right question. We are taking legal help to be compliant with various jurisdictions. Our solution is currently able to safely sign a document with a digital signature that will make it tamper-proof and show a geen tick in Adobe PDF while keeping track of incremental annotations added by multiple signers. We envision to add support for eIDAS and AADHAAR e-sign(widely accepted in India) very soon.