Most of your code won't be on GitHub
Recently, I came across a tweet that sparked a moment of self-reflection. The tweet showcased a software engineer with a GitHub profile filled with green squares, indicating a high volume of commits. The person who tweeted mentioned sending this developer a rather lucrative job offer on the spot. After seeing this, I spent a week feeling a bit embarrassed about the state of my own GitHub profile, which was comparatively barren.
However, after a week of contemplating my apparent lack of commits, I had a realization. I have developed a substantial amount of code, scripts, auxiliary programs, and other projects that have never made their way to my GitHub repository. I also work on hardware projects and manage a home server. After giving it some thought for about as long as it takes to microwave a burrito , I concluded that not everything I work on necessarily belongs on my GitHub profile. In fact, I estimate that 40% of my work will never see the light of GitHub.
As a researcher, the variables and conditions in my code can change more frequently than the weather in a Midwest spring. If I committed every variation, I could easily accumulate enough green squares to make my profile resemble a well-manicured golf course. However, after running each iteration of my code, I must analyze the results and determine which approaches are viable, further delaying my Not to be confused with a fear of commitment. .
In this post, I want to share an opinion that may be unpopular but is hopefully more common than one might think:
GitHub green squares are not a reliable measure of productivity. GitHub is a platform for storing and sharing code, not a performance metric.
The Spanish have a saying, “Abrir un melón,” which translates to “opening a watermelon.” It’s used when expressing an opinion that may not be well-received. For managers and HR professionals, it might be tempting to use commit counts as a performance metric for potential hires, but this approach has its flaws. How complex were these commits? Were they trivial or did they involve tackling a challenging problem? Attempting to quantify experience can lead to misunderstandings and may even motivate some individuals to artificially inflate their metrics.
To sum up:
- Is using GitHub bad? -> Absolutely not.
- Should you commit less? -> No.
- Should you commit more? -> Not necessarily.
- Is the number of commits a good metric? -> No way.
The purpose of committing code is to create checkpoints and enable collaboration, not to accumulate green squares. If you find yourself committing solely to increase your commit count, it may be time to reassess your approach. Remember, it’s the quality and impact of your work that matters, not the color of your GitHub profile.