Complaints mount after GitHub launches new algorithmic feed
- Reference: 1648045808
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/03/23/github_for_you/
- Source link:
As soon as the new feed arrived, replete with all kinds of exciting suggestions for developers to look at, the complaints began rolling in as users worried the recommendations were turning GitHub into something distressingly like a social media platform.
GitHub is part of our livelihood, and the gamification of it could lead to extra stress we could do without
"I do not need to see recommendations, nor activity of people I don't follow," [1]said one user . "Don't fix what's not broken."
Others were blunter, [2]stating : "I don't want algorithmic feed" and requesting a feed on stuff that actually mattered – issues, releases, PRs and so on.
GitHub [3]pushed out a new beta version of its Home Feed earlier this week, with the avowed intention of developers reaching a wider audience and building communities. The plan is to make discovery easier and help users "find new repositories or users to follow based on your interests."
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Not everyone agrees. Another developer [5]pointed out : "Most developers and consumers prefer open-source tools to increase data privacy and transparency.
[6]
[7]
"An algorithmic feed might translate to collecting more data, and it doesn't align with the open-source community."
"For many of us," [8]said another , "GitHub is part of our livelihood, and the gamification of it could lead to extra stress we could do without.
[9]Coding in a war zone: A Ruby developer's life in Kharkiv
[10]If you're a founder and hungry for cloud credits, Microsoft has a hub for you
[11]Bing China freezes auto-suggestions at Beijing's request
[12]New Linux kernel bolsters random number generation
"There are other platforms well-placed for promotion and dissemination of our work - please consider deferring to those, instead of making it a compulsory part of this site."
As if to demonstrate the levels of discontent around GitHub's new feature, a Chrome extension quickly showed up to disable the social feed by removing the "For You" section on the GitHub dashboard.
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Not all users were upset by the appearance of the new feed, and GitHub staff popped up to [14]promise that there would be an option to make one's profile private and opt out of pretty much everything via a single setting. It will, however, take until late April before this option is likely to appear, they said.
Which prompted the obvious question: "Why is this opt-out instead of opt-in?"
Why indeed. The Register put the question to GitHub and will update should the company respond. ®
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://github.com/github/feedback/discussions/13147
[2] https://github.com/github/feedback/discussions/13131
[3] https://github.blog/2022-03-22-improving-your-github-feed/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YjtSQAuyCOTOxR3TGMtujAAAAAk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://github.com/github/feedback/discussions/13131#discussioncomment-2410835
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YjtSQAuyCOTOxR3TGMtujAAAAAk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YjtSQAuyCOTOxR3TGMtujAAAAAk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://github.com/github/feedback/discussions/13131#discussioncomment-2409431
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/17/ruby_ukraine_zverok/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/09/microsoft_for_startups_hub/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/22/bing_china_freezes_autosuggestions_at/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/21/new_linux_kernel_has_improved/
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YjtSQAuyCOTOxR3TGMtujAAAAAk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://github.com/github/feedback/discussions/13162#discussioncomment-2409715
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Actually, you will even notice that Semantic Versioning (encourages micro-libraries / dependency driven development) was designed by Tom Preston-Werner, the co-founder of GitHub: https://semver.org/
Er, I don't think so. That's like claiming he designed the wheel. The page itself claims
This is not a new or revolutionary idea. In fact, you probably do something close to this already. The problem is that “close” isn’t good enough. Without compliance to some sort of formal specification, version numbers are essentially useless for dependency management.
Huh. I've been publishing software with exactly this semantic meaning since 1999, it was an old idea then.
A simple example will demonstrate how Semantic Versioning can make dependency hell a thing of the past.
What isn't already?
" users worried the recommendations were turning GitHub into something distressingly like a social media platform. "
Every online service is now effectively a social media platform, simply because that's how the user base can most conveniently be monetised (via mapping and analysing user preferences and interactions to directly or indirectly drive targeted advertising, as that's where the revenue comes from). The days of anonymous access to free resources are long gone.
And how many of these vocal complainers are actually paying Github for service?
A couple of stats from: [1]expandedramblings.com/index.php/github-statistics/
Number of Github users: 73 million
Annual Income: $200 million.
[1] https://expandedramblings.com/index.php/github-statistics/
> And how many of these vocal complainers are actually paying Github for service?
Surely, as they're not paying then, GitHub should *not* give them this new feature and only foist it onto people who've paid for the privilege?
I've only take a quick scan over mine, and there's nothing in there I could ever imagine being worth inclusion in a personalised feed.
I pay, but I've been ignoring the feed ever since it stopped showing issues and PRs. I'm amazed they could've made it worse.
Why should they pay ?
No-one forces such firms to offer membership for free --- though I expect now MS has ownership the aim is to make all such things a subscription service.
Some cities around the world offer free public transport ( and even in Britain pensioners can use bus passes ) --- the fact it is free to use doesn't mean users should not complain about chewing-gum on the seats, a rancid atmosphere, or missing wheels.
"requesting a feed on stuff that actually mattered – issues, releases, PRs and so on."
Be careful what you ask for. The sort of people pushing this will read PR as Public Relations.
Umm...
Isn't this the Micros~1 way? Buy a service or a product and then "develop" it to the point where is pi$$e$ of the users? I could be mistaken of course :)
Re: Umm...
Embrace Extend Extinguish
Re: Umm...
That's MicroTurd's SOP and has been for several decades.
I removed all of my code from GitHub the day after their assimilation into the MS Borg was announced.
It is a Microsoft product now.
It will be "modernized" - and monetized.
This is the end goal of GitHub. Everything connects, like a social media platform.
All of these micro-libraries that people drag in as dependencies means you are already hooked / tied to the GitHub way of things.
Actually, you will even notice that Semantic Versioning (encourages micro-libraries / dependency driven development) was designed by Tom Preston-Werner, the co-founder of GitHub: https://semver.org/
If you don't like it; you can use something else but do unfortunately expect that someone forks your project, sticks it on GitHub and development continues from there (unless you use a more restrictive license than GPL / BSD, etc).