2008 founded Standing
developer-tools · github.com
GitHub
the moat is real
18 years 132 days and counting
Tom Preston-Werner, Chris Wanstrath, PJ Hyett, 2008. Still the address of software.
Why it lasted
- It is where the code is. Resume, package registry, CI, identity, and the social graph of software.
- Microsoft bought it and, against every instinct of 2018 Twitter, did not kill it.
- Copilot tied the next decade of editors to the same login.
Times it almost ended
- The 2018 acquisition was supposed to be the death. It became distribution.
- GitLab and SourceHut exist for people who want out. Most people do not want out.
What would finish it
- A default forge that is not GitHub on every student laptop, plus Microsoft pricing the social graph like Office. Possible. Not today.
Questions
Is GitHub still up?
Yes, with a Standing verdict: the moat is real. Founded 2008.
How long has GitHub been around?
GitHub has been up since 2008-04-10.
Why did GitHub survive?
It is where the code is. Resume, package registry, CI, identity, and the social graph of software.
Could GitHub still die?
A default forge that is not GitHub on every student laptop, plus Microsoft pricing the social graph like Office. Possible. Not today.