DAY 1: What Is GitHub (and Why Do People Use It)? 🤔

[ghostinhershell]

Welcome to 7 Days of GitHub — a beginner’s journey designed for new users, career pivoters, self-taught learners, and anyone who’s felt unsure about where to begin.

If GitHub has ever felt intimidating, overly technical, or like “something you’ll figure out later” — this is your sign to start today. And start small.

Today’s focus is simple:
What is GitHub, and how do people use it to build?

✅ Goal of the Day

Understand what GitHub is and why it's useful — especially if you're learning, building, or starting fresh.

Note

💡 This is a read-and-reflect day. No code or downloads needed. You can take breaks, come back later, or go at your own pace. There’s no deadline.

🧠 What You Should Know

GitHub is a place where people collaborate, share, and grow through code and ideas.

At the heart of GitHub is a tool called Git, which tracks changes in a project over time. Think of Git like version history in Google Docs — it lets you save your progress, undo mistakes, and understand what changed, when, and why.

GitHub builds on Git by giving you:

• A place to host your work online
• Tools to contribute to other people’s projects
• A home for personal projects, documentation, websites, and more
• A connection point to a global open source community

You don’t need to be an expert in Git. You don’t need to code every day. You just need a place to grow — and GitHub is one of the best places to start.

🧑‍💻 A Real-Life Example: Why GitHub Is Useful

Let’s say you and three friends are working on a simple project.
Each person builds their part — but eventually, you all need to combine your code into one working version.

Without GitHub, this might mean emailing files back and forth or copy-pasting into one folder. Things get messy fast. With GitHub:

• You each work in your own copy of the project
• Git tracks your changes
• You combine your work safely, and nothing gets lost
• If something breaks, you can roll it back
• And your finished project lives online, ready to share

Even if you’re working solo, GitHub helps you organize your progress, showcase your work, and learn by doing.

🛠️ Try This: Explore GitHub for the First Time

1. Visit https://github.com/ and sign in or create a free account.
2. Click Explore or visit github.com/explore to see trending projects.
3. Open one that looks interesting. You don’t need to understand the code — just observe:

• What is this project for?
• Does it have a README or description?
• How many people have starred or contributed to it?

Tip

🧪 Bonus: Bookmark or write down one project that made you curious.

💬 Community Prompt

Introduce yourself in the comments below!

• What brought you to GitHub?
• What’s something you hope to learn or create?
• What would make this journey feel meaningful to you?

You’re not behind. You’re not too late. You’re starting now — and that’s powerful.

🔗 Want to Go Deeper?

• GitHub’s Beginner Guide
• What Is Git? A Beginners Guide to Version Control
• Learning GitHub with GitHub Skills

---

🎉 That’s a wrap on Day 1.
Tomorrow, we’ll set up your profile so the community can learn more about you and what you're working on.

[mso-docs]

My name is Mackenzie! I am a Technical Writer specializing in software and API documentation. I am new to GitHub and very happy to be here.

Here are my answers to the questions above:

• I joined GitHub to learn more about version control. I also joined to start doing programming/documentation projects for fun!
• I hope to create API documentation and some fun programming/game projects on GitHub.
• Leveling up my programming skills would make the journey more meaningful to me. I hope to learn more theory, so I can easily adapt to any type of projects. I also want to contribute to more open-source projects.

[mso-docs]

@ghostinhershell Nice to meet you! Thanks for sharing Knack's docs; they look like a great read. I am always looking to learn from great examples like this, so I appreciate the share!

For me, I like Stripe, Slack, Snowflake's docs.

[Darshan-44-LH]

hey guys

[Darshan-44-LH]

i am kinda new here can anyone care to help me out

[RiteshKushwaha01]

Hi, I’m Ritesh Kushwaha 👋 A B.Tech CSE student passionate about full-stack development and open source. I came to GitHub to share my projects and learn from the community. I hope to contribute to impactful projects and improve my coding skills. This journey will feel meaningful if I can collaborate, grow, and give back to the developer ecosystem 🚀"

[Iancraigm]

What brought you to GitHub?

I am tired of my day to day job as I feel I'm not learning anything that will actually have an impact on anything.

What’s something you hope to learn or create?
Create scripts that will help me at my current office job....or hypothetically a lot of people.

What would make this journey feel meaningful to you?
If the projects I create helps someone who was in the position I am in now. Officer worker stuck doing repetitive tasks.

[qqrm]

No, I want to Rust deeper 😏🫰

[ghostinhershell]

Hey @qqrm! Looks like you're pretty seasoned in this space! Is there any advice that you would like to share with any first time GitHub users, or anyone who's interested in contributing to open source but is unsure of where to start?

[qqrm]

In my understanding - it is easier to start with small automation of your own routines, surely there is something that is annoying in your favorite site - you can write a user script, and then based on it to make an extension for the browser, thereby sharing the solution with people. You can also make different kinds of bots for your favorite messenger, if not useful - then fun. If there is a passion for games - try to make a clone of your favorite game ...
The main thing is to find a community where you can get help, ask silly and not so silly questions, find like-minded people, cooperate and with due diligence and luck - together share the triumph of the completed project.

[Negatix092]

My name is Negatix.

• I was brought to GitHub by one of my college teachers. After that I was amazed by its capabilities and decided to learn by my own from it.
• What I hope to learn is how to contribute, in a very good and professional way, to the most important open sources projects inside GitHub. I want my commits, PRs and issues to be something meaningful not just for me but for everybody.
• I believe learning and being able to explore a relatively new and everyday evolving tool like GitHub would feel like a meaningful journey to me.

[ghostinhershell]

Hey @Negatix092! 👋🏾

What I hope to learn is how to contribute, in a very good and professional way, to the most important open sources projects inside GitHub. I want my commits, PRs and issues to be something meaningful not just for me but for everybody.

That's exactly what brought me to GitHub almost a decade ago! I ran into a bug when using Grav CMS for a contract job and my boss encouraged me to submit an issue to the Grav team via GitHub to report the bug. I remember being so nervous and unsure going through that process for the first time but I'm soooo very happy that I did!

This was my very first issue: getgrav/grav#1094 🎉

I'm very excited to see where your own journey takes you :)

[SohamPadalkar]

Hello, I am Soham, a first-year B-Tech student from India. Here are my answers to the question:

1. I joined GitHub to learn more about tech, contribute to open-source, and document and store all my projects while learning.
2. I aim to deepen my understanding of GitHub and become fluent in using it.
3. This journey would feel meaningful if I can consistently grow as a developer by building real-world projects and collaborating with others.

[ghostinhershell]

Hey @SohamPadalkar! 👋🏾

That’s such a thoughtful reason for joining GitHub! I love that you’re approaching it with both curiosity and intention. Using GitHub to track your learning, contribute to open source, and build real-world projects is a powerful combo. And collaboration? That’s where the real magic happens. Keep showing up, keep shipping! Growth will follow. You've got this! 🚀

[ghostinhershell]

Hey all! Thanks for following along!

Yesterday, we learned what GitHub is and why it matters. Today is about making GitHub yours. You can find Day 2's post here: DAY 2: Create your GitHub Profile 💡

[Ubayed-Bin-Sufian]

Hi! I was going through the docs to refresh my knowledge. This program is really a great program for beginners. Thanks for taking the initiative.
What Is Version Control? (Tower) Seems like this link is broken. Please review.

[ghostinhershell]

Really sad that that particular resource isn't available anymore! I felt it was a really good reference point for beginners.

No worries, however, I've updated it with this article from FreeCodeCamp: What Is Git? A Beginners Guide to Version Control

[ghostinhershell]

Thank you so much for flagging that!

[DhruvJohri]

Hey everyone! I’m Dhruv, a CS student diving into GitHub to level up my open source skills. Excited to learn, build, and grow during these 7 days! 🚀
Follow me for more dev updates and projects! 💻✨
GitHub
Twitter (X)

@ghostinhershell

[ghostinhershell]

Followed! Nice to meet you @DhruvJohri! 👋🏾

[DhruvJohri]

Same here @ghostinhershell

[angeloLib]

👋 Hi everyone! I'm Ângelo, and I've been working in software development for about 6 years.

I already know the basics of GitHub, but now I want to deepen my understanding — not just how to use the platform technically, but how to really get the most out of it. That includes discovering open source projects that are fun and meaningful to contribute to, and even exploring freelance or collaboration opportunities here.

What would make this journey meaningful for me is connecting with others who are building cool things, learning in public, and growing as a developer through real, shared work.

Looking forward to learning with you all! 🚀

[ghostinhershell]

Hey @angeloLib! 👋🏾

not just how to use the platform technically, but how to really get the most out of it.

I truly believe that this campaign will have something for everyone, in terms of how to get the most out of the platform. You've actually given me an idea here for a possible bonus post that can be aimed at folks who are already familiar with the basics but are ready to level up and be on their way to become power users. Stay tuned! 👀

[r0b14]

That's cool, @angeloLib . I'm aiming for something similar to what you just described, such as freelance work, contributing to open-source projects, and advancing my learning and practices in the GitHub tool (which I think is fantastic).

[adebowale-aienergy]

@angeloLib Nice to know about your interest and the journey so far. I would be glad to connect with you .

[virajwathsalag]

Hello I am Viraj and I am a software engineering student.

I joined GitHub to join the tech community and explore it and alos contribute to open-source, and document and store all my university projects while learning.
I aim to deepen my understanding of GitHub and focus of using github to support my career level projects.
This journey would feel meaningful if I can consistently grow as a developer by building real-world projects and collaborating with others.

[ghostinhershell]

Hey @virajwathsalag, welcome!

This journey would feel meaningful if I can consistently grow as a developer by building real-world projects and collaborating with others.

The goal of this campaign is just that, it's a step by step journey to help you go from “just signed up” to “just contributed”. And once you get your first contribution under your belt it's a matter of consistency from there.

I'm really excited to see where this journey takes you! 🚀

[abhishek-maurya576]

Hello,

My self Abhishek Maurya I'm currently pursuing my BCA at University of Allahabad.
I joined GitHub 4-5 year ago just exploring new tech things.
Now I use GitHub for storing my codebase and university projects.
Also I'm intermediate know about GitHub.
Also i contribute to an open source project.
And many more....
That's it.

[ghostinhershell]

@abhishek-maurya576 That’s such a thoughtful goal! Contributing to projects that are meaningful to you and helpful to others is a powerful motivator. It’s totally okay if it takes time to get there. Every small action you take, like exploring repos, opening an issue, or making a tiny edit, is part of that journey. Keep going! We’re excited to see where your contributions take you!

[r0b14]

• Since I started in the tech world, I've always studied Git and GitHub. However, I've never participated in the training courses offered by the platform itself, and it's been very interesting. GitHub is also highly talked about and in demand for any tech job.
• Learn about the various ways to earn certifications, boost productivity (code vibe), and collaborate on open-source projects.
• Hands-on activities and strong engagement with the most diverse audiences possible.

[ghostinhershell]

Hey @r0b14 👋🏾

You're doing exactly what this series was made for: exploring GitHub at your own pace, learning by doing, and getting comfortable with how it all works. It’s totally okay to not have contributed yet, every small step you’re taking now is building a strong foundation for when you’re ready. Keep going, we’re cheering you on!

[r0b14]

Thank you @ghostinhershell. I will remain steadfast in my purpose. 🎉🙌

[naamiahmed]

Hi, I'm Naami Ahmed from Sri Lanka.
I'm a Software Engineering and interested in DevOps and always looking to learn more about automation and development tools. I joined GitHub to share my projects, learn from others, and improve my skills. I hope to build useful tools, contribute to open-source, and connect with people in the tech community. This journey will be meaningful for me if I can grow as a developer and make a positive impact. 🙌😊

[ghostinhershell]

@naamiahmed I'm so glad this series has been helpful for you! Your approach, using GitHub to document your learning, contribute to open source, and grow your skills, is such a powerful one. Building real-world projects and collaborating with others is exactly how confidence and fluency develop over time.

If there's anything you'd like to see covered next, or if you have tips for others just getting started, feel free to share — we're all learning together!

[yusufAbdulrasheed]

Hi, I'm Abdulrasheed Yusuf from Nigeria.
I'm a Software Developer am also looking forward to learn more about git and GitHub version control system, so i can share my projects, learn from experts in the community.
I look forward to contribute to open-source and connect with like minds.
This journey will mean a lot to if it can help me up my games as a software developer

[ghostinhershell]

Hey @yusufAbdulrasheed, welcome!

[tanialapalelo]

👋 Hi everyone! I’m Tania, a software engineer with a background in both frontend and backend development. I'm currently exploring open source and building passion projects.

I’ve been using GitHub for a while to manage my own code, but now I’m here to be more intentional; to collaborate, contribute, and grow as part of a developer community.

I really want to sharpen my skills by contributing to real-world projects and build tools that help others especially in areas like education, productivity, or women in tech.

I hope this journey brings me genuine connections, let's me to learn from other devs’ journeys, and seeing my work make a small (or big!) impact on someone’s day.

Looking forward to growing with all of you ❤️

[ghostinhershell]

Hi @tanialapalelo, welcome!!!

I’ve been using GitHub for a while to manage my own code, but now I’m here to be more intentional; to collaborate, contribute, and grow as part of a developer community.

My favorite part of open source has been contributing to projects that mean a lot to me, especially projects that benefit organizations that serve the underserved.

Here are a couple of articles that you may enjoy reading on this topic:

• Open Source is enabling the "Tech for Good" movement
• Software as a public good

Cheers!

[sunilkumarald]

Hello all,
I am Sunil kumar from India.
I have recently started my corporate training venture and am working independently.
I have been on GitHub for a long time, but I was not active.
Now, I am looking for my hit map to be active, and also for a GitHub star.
Now, I am more keen to learn and better utilize the platform.

Looking forward to connecting and learn together.

[ghostinhershell]

Hey @sunilkumarald, welcome back! I hope you get a lot of value out of this campaign as you re-introduce yourself to GitHub 🚀

[sunilkumarald]

thanks @ghostinhershell . I am here to learn and share my learnings.

[zakkycrypt01]

Hello all👋👋👋

Am Zakariyah Abdulaleem from Nigeria

I always believe in anything that works so I choose github for collaborating with other people I share the same goal with

[ghostinhershell]

Hey @zakkycrypt01! Nice to meet you!

GitHub is one of the best places to collaborate with like minded builders, especially within the open source community. Welcome!!!

[ghostinhershell]

Hey all 👋🏾

Thanks so much for participating! Today, we're exploring how to follow, save, and copy repositories on GitHub even if you're not writing code (yet).

This post breaks down what Fork 🍴 , Star ⭐ , and Watch 👀 really mean and why they're great tools for curious learners.

If you’ve ever opened a GitHub project and wondered what to do with it… today’s post is for you! DAY 3: Fork, Star, Watch 🍴 ⭐ 👀

[maurya-07]

1. What brought you to GitHub?
   i. I started using GitHub after I lost an important project containing over 6,000 lines of code due to an unexpected error on my laptop.
   ii. The entire project was deleted, and I had no backup, which made me realize how crucial it is to use a version control system.
   iii. That's when I decided to move my development workflow to GitHub to safely store, track, and manage my projects online.

2. What’s something you hope to learn or create?
   i. I genuinely enjoy working on private collaborations and building freelancing projects—that’s where I have the most fun and creative freedom.

3. What would make this journey feel meaningful to you?
   i. Being able to reuse and revisit my old code whenever I need it would be truly meaningful.

[pfuh3z]

My name is Dries, I'm an information security enthousiast with a technical background in network and systems administration.

• I've loosely interacted with tools like git and systems such as GitHub before, but never got around to properly understanding them, and I want to change that.
• I hope that along the way, I won't only pick up knowledge, but will eventually get to share some and maybe contribute to some other projects as well!

P.S.: I've been wanting to familiarize myself with Git(Hub) for a while now, but with many other priorities and wishes, I never got around to starting. This 7 Days of GitHub initiative popped up at a good time and provided just that little push. Thanks for that!

[yajamanabalajipai-hue]

Hi

[DyexaHub]

Hi everyone, I’m Dyexa 👋

I joined GitHub because I wanted a place to grow as a developer, build in public, and keep track of my progress as I continue learning. I’ve been working on my personal portfolio and exploring modern frontend tools, and I’m excited to start sharing more of my components, ideas, and experiments with the community.

I’m hoping to learn more about clean architecture, scalable design systems, and how to build projects that feel genuinely useful — not just for me, but for anyone who might come across them. Over time, I want to create polished, real-world applications that reflect both my technical skills and my growth mindset.

What would make this journey meaningful is simple: progress. Seeing myself get better with every repo, every commit, and every iteration. If I can look back months from now and recognize how far I’ve come, that’s enough to make this whole process powerful.

Thanks to everyone here who shares openly, teaches generously, and inspires newcomers like me. Here’s to learning, building, and evolving — one step at a time.