September 2013 Summaries

GitHub is expanding its community involvement through the "GitHub for Good" initiative by hosting its first-ever blood drive on October 8th, 2013, at their headquarters. The event aims to support the American Red Cross and address the urgent need for blood donations, as someone in the U.S. requires blood every two seconds, with over 44,000 donations needed daily. Attendees are encouraged to sign up in advance using a sponsor code, and successful donors will be rewarded with a tour of GitHub's new facilities, recovery refreshments, and surprise gifts. The drive highlights the critical demand for blood, particularly for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, and emphasizes that the blood used in emergencies is sourced from existing donations.

GitHub has introduced a new feature for its Mac and Windows applications that allows users to open files directly from pull requests and branches. By clicking the new "Open" button, users can launch GitHub for Mac or Windows to clone the repository if it's not already on their device, switch to the branch with the changes, and open the file in its default application for editing. This enhancement aims to streamline the process of addressing comments on pull requests, making it more efficient for developers to manage changes and collaborate on code.

Many blogging platforms, such as Jekyll with GitHub Pages, utilize YAML-formatted metadata at the beginning of posts to manage content details like titles. As of today, GitHub will render this metadata as a horizontal table, enhancing readability across any supported prose document, not limited to Jekyll or Markdown. This feature is part of GitHub's broader support for various document types, as detailed in the github/markup repository. The announcement, made by Garen Torikian, aims to streamline content management for writers using GitHub Pages.

Zach Holman is inviting fellow GitHub users to a social event in Ghent during Arrrrcamp, which will take place at Patrick Foley's on Friday, October 4th, starting at 8:30 PM. The event promises an opportunity for engaging conversations and drinks in a casual setting.

Kyle Neath and a colleague are attending BubbleConf and have organized a casual meetup at The Tara in Amsterdam, inviting people to join them for drinks courtesy of GitHub. The event is scheduled for Friday, September 27, at 9:00 PM, offering a chance for attendees to socialize in a relaxed setting.

GitHub has introduced a new feature that allows for the full automation of software releases through the Releases API Preview. This enhancement simplifies the process of releasing software by enabling users to upload binaries in a single step using a command that incorporates curl and specific authorization and content-type headers. The update aims to streamline software deployment, encouraging users to explore the API documentation for further information and to leverage this capability for efficient software development and release management.

GitHub is teaming up with Crowd Favorite to host their inaugural Passion Projects viewing party in Denver, Colorado, featuring a live stream of talk #6 by Leslie Bradshaw from GitHub's headquarters in San Francisco. Scheduled for Thursday, September 26th, 2013, from 7:30 to 9:30 pm at Crowd Favorite HQ, the event promises beverages and octocat stickers for attendees, though space is limited, requiring registration. The initiative encourages other organizations to host their own viewing parties by reaching out to GitHub for involvement opportunities.

Merging Pull Requests is now more convenient with the ability to use the Merge button directly from mobile devices, allowing users to approve changes on the go. This update is designed to enhance flexibility by enabling users to merge smaller Pull Requests from anywhere, such as while commuting on public transport, rather than being confined to a desktop environment.

Join Leslie Bradshaw, a tech entrepreneur known for her creative endeavors, this Thursday, September 26th, at GitHub HQ in San Francisco for the next installment of the Passion Projects talk series. Leslie, who is the Chief Operating Officer of Guide and a Fellow at the US Chamber of Commerce, will delve into the intersections of big data, technology, and entrepreneurship. Recognized by Fast Company as one of the most creative people in business, she founded the data visualization company JESS3 and now advises storytelling agencies and startups while contributing to Forbes. The event, scheduled from 7:00-8:00 pm with doors opening at 6:15 pm, requires registration due to limited space.

Over five years ago, shortly after GitHub's initial launch, Chris highlighted a Peepcode PDF about Git internals authored by Scott Chacon. This book, which delves into the inner workings of Git, has now been open-sourced by Pluralsight under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license. It is available for free download on its GitHub releases page, providing an opportunity for readers to gain insights into the technical aspects of Git.

GitHub is hosting a community event at Barcade in Brooklyn on Tuesday, September 24, starting at 8:30 PM. Attendees are encouraged to bring friends and enjoy a complimentary night out with fellow GitHub community members. The event promises a fun atmosphere, fostering connections among participants, and is open to anyone interested in joining. Drinks will be provided by the host, adding to the relaxed and enjoyable setting. The event is organized by Zach Holman, a member of the GitHub team.

Editing GeoJSON files has become more user-friendly with the introduction of a live preview feature in the web view, allowing users to click a "Preview" button to immediately see changes as they edit. This enhancement simplifies the process of working with GeoJSON files and provides an intuitive way to visualize edits in real-time. For those encountering difficulties, map help documentation is available to assist users in navigating any issues that arise.

Passion Projects is a talk series designed to highlight and celebrate the achievements of remarkable women in the industry, aiming to share their unique stories with the community. In its fifth installment, the series featured Rachel Myers, who discussed her journey to becoming a developer and her involvement with Railsbridge, an organization dedicated to promoting diversity in tech. The initiative underscores the importance of providing a platform for women to share their experiences and inspire others.

Join @holman and attendees of Nickel City Ruby at The Century Grill for a casual gathering where participants can enjoy drinks and conversations about GitHub, regardless of whether they are attending the conference or consuming alcohol. Scheduled for Friday, September 20 at 7:00 pm, this event aims to foster a welcoming atmosphere filled with spirits, coffee, and discussions, promising a friendly and enjoyable experience at 318 Pearl St, Buffalo, United States. The event is organized by Elizabeth Barron and encourages a celebration of community and collaboration, symbolized by the playful use of emojis.

In an effort to enhance the 3D file viewing experience on GitHub, the platform now supports visual diffs for STL files, allowing users to easily identify changes between versions. The default "Highlight" mode distinguishes removed sections in red and added parts in green, while unchanged elements are shown as a wireframe, and a revision slider enables smooth transitions between file versions. This feature leverages binary space partitioning to compute differences, utilizing a C library called csgtool, which is integrated with a Ruby gem via FFI to cache and display model changes effectively. GitHub aims to facilitate open-source hardware development with these improvements, as detailed by Mike Skalnik.

Jessica Hische participated in the fifth installment of the Passion Projects talk series in July, delivering an engaging presentation on the concept of "procrastiworking," which captivated the audience. The event included a full video of her talk as well as a panel discussion, and the evening was documented with photos. Julie Ann Horvath expressed gratitude to attendees for contributing to the success of the night.

GitHub for Windows has introduced support for GitHub Enterprise, allowing users to access all the features of GitHub for Windows with their GitHub Enterprise repositories. Users who are already logged in to GitHub.com can easily add their GitHub Enterprise account through a new button in the options view, entering their Enterprise URL and login details. Once logged in, their GitHub Enterprise user profile and organizations will appear in the sidebar, enhancing accessibility and management of enterprise repositories. The update aims to provide the same level of functionality and convenience for Enterprise users as experienced with standard GitHub repositories, and users are encouraged to reach out to GitHub support for any inquiries, bug reports, or feedback.

Jason Rudolph invites attendees of REST Fest, local Greenville residents, and visitors to join him, along with @jdpace and @shayfrendt, for a social gathering at Liberty Tap Room in Greenville, SC, on Thursday, September 19, at 7:00 PM. The event promises an opportunity to enjoy drinks and engage in discussions about GitHub, welcoming both conference participants and those interested in technology. The informal meetup aims to foster connections and conversations among the GitHub community and technology enthusiasts in a relaxed setting.

Tim Berglund and Matthew McCullough are in Oslo, Norway, following another year at JavaZone, and are organizing a social gathering at Cafe Con Bar near the Oslo Spektrum. The event, scheduled for Sunday, September 15th at 20:00, offers attendees an opportunity to engage in discussions about Git, GitHub, collaboration, development, and technology while enjoying drinks. This gathering at Cafe Con Bar, located at Brugata 11, aims to foster community and conversation among technology enthusiasts in Oslo.

GitHub Enterprise's latest release introduces a range of new features that enhance user interaction and security, while integrating functionalities from GitHub.com. It includes a revamped repository UI and improved LDAP integration, allowing group-based authentication and admin permissions. The release supports two-factor authentication, CSV rendering for easy file viewing, and identicons for avatars. Mobile views are now supported for on-the-go access to pull requests, and collectd monitoring is added for better server performance tracking. Soft file size limits are implemented, warning users about large files. Additionally, the updated Gist, along with features such as new explore and trending views, code search API, and OAuth improvements, are now part of Enterprise. Existing customers can download the update, and new users can request a free trial to explore these enhancements.

GitHub is sponsoring HACKMemphis, and James Fryman invites attendees to join him at Fox and Hound in Memphis on Thursday, September 12, at 6:00 PM for drinks and tech discussions. Whether attending the conference or residing in Memphis, participants are encouraged to meet, socialize, and enjoy complimentary beverages, providing an opportunity to engage with fellow tech enthusiasts.

An event hosted by GitHub is taking place in Chicago at the Elephant & Castle on 111 West Adams Street on Wednesday at 8 pm. The gathering aims to bring together developers, designers, and GitHub users from the Chicago tech community for networking and socializing. GitHub will cover the costs of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and the event will be held in the reserved Buckingham Room on the lower level of the venue. Attendees are encouraged to bring friends to enjoy this opportunity to connect and engage with fellow tech enthusiasts.

Nine GitHub employees, including a Catalan speaker, are in Barcelona for Baruco, and they've decided to host a GitHub drinkup event, open to everyone regardless of Baruco attendance. The event will take place at Fàbrica Moritz on Thursday, September 12th, starting at 8:30 pm, offering an opportunity for locals and visitors to mingle and enjoy a complimentary drink. Lincoln Stoll, one of the GitHubbers, has announced this gathering, inviting anyone in the area to join in the fun.

Washington, D.C. residents are invited to join several key figures from GitHub, including Ben Balter, for an informal gathering at the Irish Whiskey Public House to celebrate surviving the summer heat and discuss topics related to GitHub and open source. Scheduled for Thursday, September 12th at 6:00 pm, the event aims to bring together government employees and open-source enthusiasts in a social setting, with ethically compliant drinks provided. Ben Balter, the Chief of Staff for Security at GitHub, has a background in managing enterprise offerings and community management at GitHub, as well as promoting open-source adoption within government organizations worldwide.

GitHub has introduced two-factor authentication (2FA) to enhance account security by requiring an additional authentication code, sent via SMS or a two-factor application, after entering a username and password. This feature protects against unauthorized access even if a password is compromised and affects various GitHub services, including GitHub.com, GitHub for Mac, GitHub for Windows, and API usage. Users accessing Git via SSH are unaffected, while those using HTTPS must use a personal access token instead of a password. In cases where a mobile device is lost, GitHub offers recovery options such as recovery codes and backup SMS numbers to ensure continued access.