The video unveils the evolution of GitHub, a critical platform in software development that began as an idea in a San Francisco bar. It highlights the transition from a brainstorming session between Tom Preston-Werner and Chris Wanstrath into a groundbreaking platform that simplifies the complexities of Git, making coding collaboration seamless worldwide. Alongside their partner PJ Hyett, they transformed GitHub into a tool central to the digital world, overcoming existing platforms by integrating user-friendly features like repository hosting and a comprehensive API.

The video details GitHub's rise against substantial challenges, including massive DDoS attacks suspected to be linked to opposition from Chinese authorities, navigating censorship from countries like India and Russia, and the leadership challenges when co-founder Tom exited. A pivotal moment came when Microsoft acquired GitHub for $7.5 billion, a move initially feared by developers but which led to the introduction of GitHub Actions and further fortified GitHub as a leading force in automation and efficiency.

Main takeaways from the video:

Please remember to turn on the CC button to view the subtitles.

Key Vocabularies and Common Phrases:

1. brainstorming [ˈbreɪnˌstɔrmɪŋ] - (noun) - A group discussion aimed at generating ideas to solve a problem. - Synonyms: (ideation, thought-sharing, discussion)

But what if I told you that the platform behind this global collaboration, GitHub, began with a couple of developers brainstorming over beers in a San Francisco bar.

2. version control system [ˈvɜrʒən kənˈtroʊl ˈsɪstəm] - (noun) - A tool that helps manage changes to source code over time. - Synonyms: (revision control system, source control, software configuration management)

Linus Torvalds, the brilliant mind behind Linux, had just lost access to Bitkeeper, the version control system that held the entire project together.

3. open source ecosystem [ˈoʊpən sɔrs ˈikoʊˌsɪstəm] - (noun) - A community or environment that promotes and supports software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. - Synonyms: (collaborative software environment, free software community, open development sphere)

From evolving a project deeply rooted in the open source ecosystem into a multibillion dollar company, to surviving one of the largest cyber attacks in history, GitHub's journey has been a rollercoaster of unexpected twists.

4. repository [rɪˈpɑzɪˌtɔri] - (noun) - A central location in which data is stored and managed, often used to refer to code storage on platforms like GitHub. - Synonyms: (storage, archive, database)

One of its key features was GitHub Git repository hosting, which made it easy for developers to host their git repositories online.

5. ddos attack [ˈdiːˌdɒs əˈtæk] - (noun) - Distributed Denial of Service attack; a cyber attack where multiple compromised systems are used to target a single system, causing a denial of service for users. - Synonyms: (network attack, service disruption, cyber assault)

In 2015, the platform faced one of the largest DDoS attacks in the Internet history.

6. censorship [ˈsɛnsərˌʃɪp] - (noun) - The suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc., that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security. - Synonyms: (restriction, suppression, control)

GitHub faced global censorship issues, with India, Russia and China blocking access to the platform due to concerns over content such as isis related documentation and broader censorship efforts.

7. collaboration [kəˌlæbəˈreɪʃən] - (noun) - The action of working with someone to produce or create something. - Synonyms: (cooperation, partnership, teamwork)

They wanted to remove the barriers that came with mastering Git's complex command line interface, making collaboration seamless for developers of all skill levels.

8. innovation [ˌɪnəˈveɪʃən] - (noun) - A new method, idea, product, etc. - Synonyms: (invention, creation, introduction)

A name that would soon become synonymous with collaboration and innovation in the software world

9. milestone [ˈmaɪlstoʊn] - (noun) - An important event in the development or history of something. - Synonyms: (landmark, achievement, breakthrough)

By 2009, just one year after its release, the platform reached an impressive milestone of 100,000 users.

10. empowering [ɛmˈpaʊərɪŋ] - (verb) - Giving someone the authority or power to do something. - Synonyms: (enabling, authorizing, equipping)

GitHub wasn't just hosting code, it was empowering developers to build the future of the web together.

The Untold Story of GitHub

Picture this. Millions of developers from around the world are working together, shaping the apps and websites you use every day. But what if I told you that the platform behind this global collaboration, GitHub, began with a couple of developers brainstorming over beers in a San Francisco bar. It's a story that connects us all in the world of software development. This is the untold story of GitHub, a platform that transformed not just how we write code, but how the digital world operates. However, the path to this transformation was far from smooth. From evolving a project deeply rooted in the open source ecosystem into a multi billion dollar company, to surviving one of the largest cyber attacks in history, GitHub's journey has been a rollercoaster of unexpected twists.

Welcome to the story of GitHub. It's 2005, and the Linux community is facing a crisis. Linus Torvalds, the brilliant mind behind Linux, had just lost access to Bitkeeper, the version control system that held the entire project together. Panic was setting in. Without a solution, years of hard work were at risk of falling apart. But instead of rushing to find a quick fix, Linus did something bold and unexpected. He didnt just find an alternative. He built one from the ground up out of sheer necessity. Git was born.

Git was powerful, but it had a big problem. It was hard to use. Developers, especially beginners, struggled with its complicated commands. The tool that was meant to help them ended up being a significant hurdle in their development journey. Thats when GitHub came in offering a much needed solution.

In 2007, Tom Preston Werner and Chris Wanstrath saw the potential in Git and met in a San Francisco bar to talk about new ideas. Over the couple of beers, they didnt realize that this casual conversation would lead to something much bigger. What started as a simple chat turned into a plan to create a tool that would make git easier for everyone to use. From that moment, logical awesome was born, setting the stage for something that would change the way developers work together.

But in February 2008, the DU knew that to reach their ambitions, the name had to evolve. And with that, GitHub was born. A name that would soon become synonymous with collaboration and innovation in the software world. Tom Preston Werner and Chris Wahnstrath had started working on the idea of GitHub. But they knew they couldn't do it alone. That's when PJ het joined them.

Having worked with Chris at CNET, PJ brought not only his technical skills, but also his strong connections in the ruby on rails community. His involvement provided the extra push needed to bring their vision to life. The trio envisioned a platform where developers could easily collaborate on code, share their work, and contribute to open source projects. They wanted to remove the barriers that came with mastering Git's complex command line interface, making collaboration seamless for developers of all skill levels.

Their approach was undeniably innovative, but they knew it came with risks. Several code hosting platforms already existed, like SourceForge and Google code, but none offered what GitHub was about to bring to the table. A powerful blend of simplicity, seamless collaboration, and community building. They were about to redefine what a platform for developers could be.

By 2008, GitHub had evolved from an idea into a fully functioning platform that was already changing the way developers work together. One of its key features was GitHub Git repository hosting, which made it easy for developers to host their git repositories online. For the first time, developers could seamlessly collaborate on code from anywhere in the world using Git's powerful version control system.

Another game changing feature was forking. GitHub allowed users to create their own copy of a repository. GitHub also introduced full commit history and version tracking, making it simple to follow a project's evolution. Over time, developers could now view every change made, helping teams stay organized and ensuring transparency in the development process.

GitHub's user base began to grow rapidly soon after its launch. By 2009, just one year after its release, the platform reached an impressive milestone of 100,000 users. The platform's simple interface and powerful features made it an attractive choice for developers of all skill levels.

The momentum didn't stop there. By 2010, GitHub had grown to 1 million users, quickly becoming the go to platform for developers seeking a better way to collaborate on code. By the mid 2010s, GitHub had evolved into more than just a platform. It was driving a global movement. The open source community was booming, and GitHub stood at the heart of this revolution.

Because of GitHub, projects like Node, which began as a small JavaScript runtime, quickly grew into global phenomena, powering millions of websites. GitHub wasn't just hosting code, it was empowering developers to build the future of the web together. Its success continued into 2011, when GitHub surpassed major competitors like SourceForge, Google code, and Microsoft's Codeplex, reaching 2 million users, an astronomical number for such a young platform.

This growth wasn't accidental. It was fueled by GitHub's ease of use and, perhaps more importantly, the introduction of its powerful API. With this API, developers could automate workflows, integrate GitHub with other platforms, and build tools that expanded GitHub's capabilities even further. This flexibility transformed GitHub from just a code repository into a central hub for managing software development at scale.

But the competition was heating up. In October 2011, GitLab entered the scene, but GitHub remained confident, staying ahead with new innovations. Soon after, on November 1, GitHub launched GitHub Enterprise, a solution designed for large scale software teams that needed the security of hosting their repositories behind a corporate firewall.

By 2012, GitHub was becoming a major player in tech. Google joined in January, followed by Facebook hosting its open source software on the platform, showing GitHub's growing trust. By August, even the White House was using GitHub to release the source code for its petitioning system and mobile apps.

In 2014, Tom, one of GitHub's co founders, resigned from the company amid controversy, marking a significant turning point for the platform. His departure sparked debates about the company's direction and leadership, highlighting the challenges of scaling a startup into a global enterprise.

Just a year later, in 2015, GitHub experienced both massive growth and international challenges. GitHub faced global censorship issues, with India, Russia and China blocking access to the platform due to concerns over content such as isis related documentation and broader censorship efforts.

In 2015, the platform faced one of the largest DDoS attacks in the Internet history. For days, GitHub was under siege, overwhelmed by malicious traffic that sought to bring the platform down. The attack was traced back to opposition against code hosted on GitHub, which supported anti censorship movements like Great Fire. The chinese government was suspected of launching adidas attack using a tool called the great Cannon to overwhelm GitHub.

GitHub's developers worked tirelessly to defend the platform, and after days of intense efforts, the platform successfully mitigated the attack and remained operational, refusing to take down the targeted content.

By 2016, GitHub had become a powerhouse, hosting over 29 million repositories, and its text editor, Atom, reached an incredible milestone of 1 million monthly active users, a clear sign of its growing impact on the developer community.

But GitHub story took a dramatic turn in 2018, when Microsoft acquired the company for a staggering $7.5 billion. For many in the developer community, this sparked concern and debate. However, by the time of the acquisition, Microsoft had already started embracing open source development, contributing to various open source projects, and making tools like visual studio code open source.

What happened next surprised many. Under Microsoft's ownership, GitHub continued to operate independently, and in some ways it thrived more than ever. Far from signaling the end of GitHub's mission, the acquisition marked the beginning of its next phase.

GitHub's new features, like GitHub actions, allowed developers to automate tasks such as testing, building, and deployment, all directly within the platform. With GitHub actions, developers could streamline their processes like never before, making the platform not just a tool for collaboration, but a powerhouse for automation and efficiency.

In March 2020, GitHub made waves by acquiring NPM, the world's largest software registry. With NPM under its umbrella, GitHub promised a more seamless experience for managing JavaScript dependencies, further embedding GitHub as the central hub for developers. The move was largely welcomed as it signaled a stronger future for JavaScript and open source collaboration.

But GitHub's next big move in June 2021, launching Copilot, sparked a significant controversy. Built in partnership with OpenAI, Copilot is an AI powered coding assistant that helps developers by suggesting code as they type, potentially speeding up the coding process.

While some developers hailed it as a revolutionary tool that would change the future of coding, the launch raised serious concerns within the open source community. The crux of the issue? Copilot was trained on vast amounts of public open source code without clear attribution or respect for licensing.

Many contributors in the open source world felt betrayed. The software Freedom Conservancy, a major advocate for open source ethics, led the charge, urging developers to leave GitHub. They argued that Copilot monetized the hard work of open source contributors without giving proper credit, and raised questions about the legal and ethical boundaries of using publicly available code for profit.

Despite these concerns, GitHub defended its approach, stating that Copilot was designed to assist developers while respecting open source licenses and that it provided immense value by improving productivity. However, many in the open source community remained unconvinced, with some actively moving their projects away from GitHub in protest.

The launch of Amazon's codewhisperer, an AI tool similar to Copilot but with more transparency about licensing, further fueled the debate about the ethical use of open source contributions in AI training.

While GitHub remains the dominant force in software development, the copilot launch highlighted a deep tension between corporate innovation and the ideals of open source. The controversy surrounding copilot has left a lasting impact, with many developers questioning whether GitHub can continue to champion open source values while pursuing commercial interests.

Despite the controversy surrounding copilot, GitHub's dominance in the developer world has only continued to grow. As of January 2023, GitHub reported having 100 million users, making it the largest host of source code in the world. This staggering growth is a testament to GitHub's lasting impact on software development. From its humble beginnings as a platform to simplify Git, GitHub has become an essential tool for developers everywhere, fostering innovation and collaboration across the globe. But what if the platform that powers the software world never existed? How different would our digital landscape be without GitHub's influence?

Github, Open Source, Collaboration, Technology, Innovation, Software Development, Codesource