A classic case of critical mass. Linus started git, then Github made it social, then everyone started using git, so you did too. Think of it exactly like an at

A classic case of critical mass. Linus started git, then Github made it social, then everyone started using git, so you did too. Think of it exactly like an atomic bomb. Atomic bombs are simple: you need fissile material that decays and emits neutrons, and you need it to get close enough to keep a reaction going. The fissile material in this case is the quality of the software. If it's good, consider it fissile. If it sucks, it probably ain't exploding anytime soon. Git is good. It works, it's fun to use, and it's collaborative. The trigger was Linux. A large developer community suddenly was introduced to it, and used it day-to-day as Linus was still developing Git itself. The bomb had dropped. Github was the mechanism itself. It brought all of the developers closer together (like neutrons) and the reaction started spreading. The quality of the experience ensured people actually wanted to be there, and to share it. Critical mass of ~the social web~ anything in society. 1. Quality, 2. Trigger, 3. Social Mechanism. Boom.