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GitHub has become the primary website for democratic open source coding. Open source coding, simply put, is the principle that many programmers work under in which they freely give away their programs and source code (basic programming language) to anyone who wants to use it. Open source software is quite common, though you may not know a program is open source if you are user, as opposed to a programmer.  The Android operating system is a well-known open source program. Google allows programmers to access the root code and write new programs for Android, which makes it open source.  By contrast, programmers who want to write applications for Windows must to access the source code and sign a contract for the right to use the proprietary code.

The founders of GitHub built the site on the principle that it is beneficial for anyone to be able to make changes to open source code and integrate those changes into the site for all users. The program on which Scott Chacon and Chris Wanstrath based GitHub is an open source program called Git.  GitHub began as Chacon and Wanstrath’s own simplified version of Git. They found the interface difficult to navigate, so they created a new interface and a new program based on Git.

Since its inception, GitHub has transformed into a social network for programmers and developers. Anyone who writes or modifies code can put their work on the website for others to use, comment on, and change. By allowing any user to make changes to the code and then have those changes uploaded to the program easily, GitHub has developed a more democratic and slightly anarchic way for coders to innovate and create.

The business end of GitHub (it is hard to call it the “corporate side” of GitHub) works on the same principles as the website. Despite having executive titles and owning the company, Chacon and Wanstrath work directly beside the other company employees. There is neither a hierarchical structure to GitHub, nor set work hours.  Chacon told Wired.com that the team at GitHub is the most productive team with which he has worked.

Open source coding has its advantages and disadvantages for programmers and sites like GitHub. GitHub can allow users to help each other create amazing programs and innovative breakthroughs. The open source nature of GitHub’s program also allows nefarious users to create problems inside the program. If their changes go unchecked, hackers could easily reprogram GitHub. There are checks in place to stop that from happening, but malignant code could slip through and damage a program.

Most of the time, however, GitHub is a helpful and creative space for coders to interact, share ideas, and help people fix problems in their programs. GitHub is a place of creativity just like Art.net, but with computer coding as the medium of choice.  With over 1,360,000 registered users, GitHub is keeping the idea of open source programming alive for Internet users around the world!

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