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code.google.com is a big -- if not the biggest -- Github rival, which makes this move seem like Google is waving the white flag. I wouldn't be surprised if an

code.google.com is a big -- if not the biggest -- Github rival, which makes this move seem like Google is waving the white flag. I wouldn't be surprised if an acquisition is coming.

yuvadam 15y ago
I wouldn't be surprised if GitHubbers say 'no' to said acquisition. Remember: "optimizing for happiness".
- kenneth_reitz 15y ago
  They'd never do it.
  - grandalf 15y ago
    Consider GitHub's tiers of employees: founders => early 2 or 3 => next 10 => next 50 How much cash does Github have to keep the last 50 or the next 150 feeling special? This is where managing the business starts to get really hard. I'd assume that the GH founders and first tier employees have probably each banked about $1M so far. A Google acquisition valued at $30-50M would set all of them up nicely and let them move on to other endeavors. In my opinion, only a very generous profit sharing program or a planned acquisition strategy explains the complete lack of rogue employees blogging their gripes. Keep in mind all the drama at Twitter when it was small.
    - kneath 15y ago
      Believe it or not, cash isn't the only thing that makes people feel special. Maybe we just want to build an amazing company.
      - grandalf 15y ago
        I don't disagree with that at all, but the cynic in me feels like even with such an amazing team the org stuff gets harder (cash aside) as the company grows. However, GH has always exceeded all of my expectations in every possible way, so good luck to you guys whatever path you choose.
    - kenneth_reitz 15y ago
      GitHub is a lifestyle company. They are in the business of running the best business they can. Everything else is secondary. Working for someone else's business doesn't fit into that model.
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
- zak_mc_kracken 15y ago
  > Remember: "optimizing for happiness". Right, and nothing says "unhappiness" like $100M or $200M.
Lewisham 15y ago
I wouldn't say either of these statements are true. This is a DVCS doing what it should do: the source is easily distributed across multiple platforms. That's not a white flag, that's just embracing the technology. Remember that Google is supposed to want what is best for the web, it builds products to support that goal, but that philosophy doesn't preclude using other products (for example, Google is on Twitter). Google Code is not going away, certainly. And I don't think Google has any real interest in GitHub: it's a product that would require such a large amount of retooling to work on Google's architecture that it would be cheaper to clone missing features into Google Code.
bonzoesc 15y ago
I don't think GitHub has the cheddar to acquire Google.
- tnorthcutt 15y ago
  Normally jokes are an unwanted distraction around here, but this is pretty amusing.
rogerbinns 15y ago
One notable difference is that you cannot give Google money in order to get private repositories. For private work I've been doing Google Code by far best matches our needs. (Your needs will be different.) One place we use Github and the other is Bitbucket. I really wish Google would take our money.
- VMG 15y ago
  > I really wish Google would take our money. they'd have to start offering support - I think they don't like to
  - rogerbinns 15y ago
    In all cases the companies are already using Google Apps for Domains and so are already at the mercy of Google's "support".
    - jrockway 15y ago
      Keep in mind that support for paying customers is very different than support for 13-year-olds that want to use a pseudonym on Google+.
      - rogerbinns 15y ago
        One startup we are paying and one we aren't. Paying does give you a phone number to call. However it doesn't give you anyone useful that answers the call.
- durin42 15y ago
  http://code.google.com/p/support/issues/detail?id=1829 http://code.google.com/p/support/issues/detail?id=1829 You might want to start that issue. Helps express a desire for the feature.
  - rogerbinns 15y ago
    Comment #125 over a year ago :)

code.google.com is a big -- if not the biggest -- Github rival, which makes this move seem like Google is waving the white flag. I wouldn't be surprised if an acquisition is coming.

yuvadam 15y ago

I wouldn't be surprised if GitHubbers say 'no' to said acquisition. Remember: "optimizing for happiness".

kenneth_reitz 15y ago
They'd never do it.
- grandalf 15y ago
  Consider GitHub's tiers of employees: founders => early 2 or 3 => next 10 => next 50 How much cash does Github have to keep the last 50 or the next 150 feeling special? This is where managing the business starts to get really hard. I'd assume that the GH founders and first tier employees have probably each banked about $1M so far. A Google acquisition valued at $30-50M would set all of them up nicely and let them move on to other endeavors. In my opinion, only a very generous profit sharing program or a planned acquisition strategy explains the complete lack of rogue employees blogging their gripes. Keep in mind all the drama at Twitter when it was small.
  - kneath 15y ago
    Believe it or not, cash isn't the only thing that makes people feel special. Maybe we just want to build an amazing company.
    - grandalf 15y ago
      I don't disagree with that at all, but the cynic in me feels like even with such an amazing team the org stuff gets harder (cash aside) as the company grows. However, GH has always exceeded all of my expectations in every possible way, so good luck to you guys whatever path you choose.
  - kenneth_reitz 15y ago
    GitHub is a lifestyle company. They are in the business of running the best business they can. Everything else is secondary. Working for someone else's business doesn't fit into that model.
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
zak_mc_kracken 15y ago
> Remember: "optimizing for happiness". Right, and nothing says "unhappiness" like $100M or $200M.

Lewisham 15y ago

I wouldn't say either of these statements are true. This is a DVCS doing what it should do: the source is easily distributed across multiple platforms. That's not a white flag, that's just embracing the technology. Remember that Google is supposed to want what is best for the web, it builds products to support that goal, but that philosophy doesn't preclude using other products (for example, Google is on Twitter). Google Code is not going away, certainly. And I don't think Google has any real interest in GitHub: it's a product that would require such a large amount of retooling to work on Google's architecture that it would be cheaper to clone missing features into Google Code.

bonzoesc 15y ago

I don't think GitHub has the cheddar to acquire Google.

tnorthcutt 15y ago
Normally jokes are an unwanted distraction around here, but this is pretty amusing.

rogerbinns 15y ago

One notable difference is that you cannot give Google money in order to get private repositories. For private work I've been doing Google Code by far best matches our needs. (Your needs will be different.) One place we use Github and the other is Bitbucket. I really wish Google would take our money.

VMG 15y ago
> I really wish Google would take our money. they'd have to start offering support - I think they don't like to
- rogerbinns 15y ago
  In all cases the companies are already using Google Apps for Domains and so are already at the mercy of Google's "support".
  - jrockway 15y ago
    Keep in mind that support for paying customers is very different than support for 13-year-olds that want to use a pseudonym on Google+.
    - rogerbinns 15y ago
      One startup we are paying and one we aren't. Paying does give you a phone number to call. However it doesn't give you anyone useful that answers the call.
durin42 15y ago
http://code.google.com/p/support/issues/detail?id=1829 http://code.google.com/p/support/issues/detail?id=1829 You might want to start that issue. Helps express a desire for the feature.
- rogerbinns 15y ago
  Comment #125 over a year ago :)