diff --git a/content/2026/github-was-never-about-the-source-code/image.png b/content/2026/github-was-never-about-the-source-code/image.png new file mode 100644 index 00000000..556d2ac4 Binary files /dev/null and b/content/2026/github-was-never-about-the-source-code/image.png differ diff --git a/content/2026/github-was-never-about-the-source-code/index.md b/content/2026/github-was-never-about-the-source-code/index.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..8822a90d --- /dev/null +++ b/content/2026/github-was-never-about-the-source-code/index.md @@ -0,0 +1,35 @@ ++++ +title="GitHub Was Never About the Source Code" +date=2026-08-17 +draft=false ++++ + +With GitHub down once again, I decided to write this long-overdue blog post. + +{{ figure(src="github-down.jpg", alt="GitHub's unicorn error page during an outage") }} + +This was the [top comment on Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49330987) when I started writing this: + +> For a variety of reasons, we had a centralized place where everyone of a +> particular set of persuasions could connect, and this had outside benefits for +> the community as a whole. That place is becoming untenable, and with the loss +> of goodwill and stability, the community’s started to dissipate. [...] But +> those emergent features like **a core community and default expectation of +> where you can find someone will fade**. +> And that is a very real loss for all of us. + +That resonates sooo much with me. GitHub has never been about the source code. It's where I hang out with friends, see what they've built, and discover all the cool projects they star. It's the only "Facebook" I still visit. There is no other place like it anymore. + +GitHub is on its way out, and the community around it is starting to crumble. +My feed basically consists of the same two people starring repos and being really "active." +The rest is just noise. (I wish I could show you a screenshot, but, well, GitHub is down.) + +"AI" has only accelerated this trend. +These days, you're lucky to get a pull request from a real human being. +Discussing changes is no longer fun when you're talking to a bot 90% of the time. + +**I hope someone builds a community for developers; we need one now more than ever.** + +The way I see it, our code could live anywhere. We could share stars, comments, and project updates through a common network, similar to [Keybase](https://keybase.io/) or [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social). + +Send me an email if you like the idea. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/content/2026/github-was-never-about-the-source-code/raw/github-down.png b/content/2026/github-was-never-about-the-source-code/raw/github-down.png new file mode 100644 index 00000000..8ace2457 Binary files /dev/null and b/content/2026/github-was-never-about-the-source-code/raw/github-down.png differ diff --git a/static/2026/github-was-never-about-the-source-code/github-down.avif b/static/2026/github-was-never-about-the-source-code/github-down.avif new file mode 100644 index 00000000..3eacf642 Binary files /dev/null and b/static/2026/github-was-never-about-the-source-code/github-down.avif differ diff --git a/static/2026/github-was-never-about-the-source-code/github-down.jpg b/static/2026/github-was-never-about-the-source-code/github-down.jpg new file mode 100644 index 00000000..61c5ce8e Binary files /dev/null and b/static/2026/github-was-never-about-the-source-code/github-down.jpg differ diff --git a/static/2026/github-was-never-about-the-source-code/github-down.png b/static/2026/github-was-never-about-the-source-code/github-down.png new file mode 100644 index 00000000..f64aa354 Binary files /dev/null and b/static/2026/github-was-never-about-the-source-code/github-down.png differ