On GitHub ⚓

25 Dec 2013

I am an Internet addict. And the website I’m most addicted to is called GitHub. GitHub is a social code hosting website that is totally awesome. Not your general run-of-the-mill awesome, but rather ass-kicking best-thing-in-the-world awesome. If GitHub was a ninja, it would be Po, defeating the evil clutches of SourceForge.

When Linux was released a couple of decades ago, it was hosted on a university FTP server. Today, the days of FTP are way past, and unless your code is hosted on a code-sharing website like GitHub, it is as good as dead. The last decade has seen an explosive grown in software and the open source movement. Things like GitHub, Linux, Android, Facebook have been made possible due to the combine efforts of millions across the globe following the Unix philosophy of doing one thing well.

Ahh, I digress. The point I’m trying to make is that it is very hard to explain to a layman how important GitHub has been to the software community. It has been used as a collaboration platform for writers, law makers, governments, programmers, and even musicians. People have used its issue tracking feature to even plan weddings. And above all, people adore GitHub. It is one of the few startups that have been accorded God status in the community.

The question here is what makes GitHub tick? As the largest hosting site for code, it obviously makes a huge impact just by virtue of being there. But its tide of features and innovative progression had made it a darling of all. For instance, their 1 click to fork feature has allowed people to contribute to any project so much easier.

GitHub has an amazing User Experience, making sure it works perfectly on all devices large or small. Their amazing support makes sure all of its users are happy as possible. Their regular meetups makes sure that GitHub is invested in the software community themselves. And their GitHub Store lets people invest back in GitHub by romoting them via Tees, stickers and even laptop sleeves.

My personal experience with GitHub has been overwhelmingly positive. People have stood beside GitHub even as they faced major issues, and for me that is indicative of a trust in GitHub that no money can buy. The GitHub API (which I’ve used more than once) lets developers create their own apps on top of GitHub which others can use to create even more awesome things.

For me GitHub is more than just a coding website. It is a testament to creativity and the Hacker Way, reminding me every day that anything is possible.

Published on December 25, 2013