GitHub is an open-source hosting service that's a bit like a cloud for code. It hosts your source code projects in a variety of different programming languages ​​and keeps track of the various changes made to each iteration. The service can do this by using git, a revision control system that runs in a command-line interface.

Why use GitHub?

Using GitHub makes it easier to collaborate with colleagues and coworkers and look back at previous versions of your work.

What are the benefits of using GitHub?

Get your code reviewed by the community

Your project is a skeleton. When you publish your project on GitHub, a wider community of programmers and hobbyists can download and evaluate your work. They can alert you to issues that might arise, such as conflicts or unforeseen ones.

GitHub is a repository

Because GitHub is a repository, it allows your work to stand out in front of the public. Additionally, it's one of the largest coding communities around, so using it can provide wide exposure for your project and you. The more people you have to review your project, the more attention and use it is likely to attract.

Collaborate across versions and track changes in your code

As with Microsoft Word or Google Drive, you can have a version history of your code so that each iteration is not lost. GitHub also tracks changes in a change log, so you know exactly what was changed each time. This feature is particularly useful for looking back in time and quickly identifying changes made by collaborators.

Use multiple integration options

GitHub can integrate with common platforms such as Amazon and Google Cloud, as well as services such as Code Climate to track your feedback, and it can highlight syntax for more than 200 different programming languages.

Follow open source trends

Many companies and organizations, both large and small, are turning to open source solutions. EnterpriseDB offers an open source database, Postgres, and states on its website that open source technology can provide greater flexibility in changing environments such as technology. It cites the Department of Defense and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as large U.S. agencies that have turned to open source in order to respond quickly to technological changes.

Open source projects tend to be more flexible because they are more responsive to market needs. Closed source programs can exist in a bubble while trying to convince the target market of their value rather than truly reacting. GitHub provides a community where programmers are constantly working to solve current problems and deliver solutions to the public.

Finding Talent for Your Organization

Due to the breadth of the GitHub community, you can sometimes find programmers who are working on similar projects or who have skills, experience, or vision that fit your organization. By being a part of the community, you can identify these people and work with them.

Develop and Implement a Management Strategy

You may have multiple people working on a project at the same time, and many of them may be in different locations, or even in different countries. With GitHub's ability to collaborate on projects, you can set up a system for different collaborators to work together without "having to step on each other's toes."

For example, you wouldn't want one collaborator to solve a problem in a way that conflicts with another collaborator's approach. Everyone can understand what everyone else is working on, and projects can be managed in a way that best suits the needs of your employees and organization.