October 2014 Summaries

Patchwork hack night, scheduled for November 5, 2014, at Dev Bootcamp Chicago, is an event designed to introduce newcomers to Git and GitHub through a hands-on workshop. This event aims to demystify Git terminology and processes, enabling participants to create their own open-source projects and achieve their first merged Pull Request. GitHub staff, including Arfon Smith and other local mentors, will guide attendees through the GitHub Flow and Hello World tutorial in small groups, fostering a collaborative learning environment. The evening will feature a talk from a GitHubber about their programming journey and conclude with a lightning talk by Derek Eder on his open-source experiences. The event is open to beginners and mentors, who are encouraged to RSVP and participate in this interactive learning opportunity.

Patchwork Night in Nashville, scheduled for October 29th, is an engaging event designed to introduce beginners to Git and GitHub in a hands-on workshop setting at The Bistro. Participants will enjoy an evening of learning, food, drinks, and community, as they work towards creating and merging their first Pull Request with guidance from experienced mentors, including GitHub staff and local community members. The event kicks off with a story about starting in programming, followed by a small-group tutorial, and concludes with a lightning talk by a community member on an open source project. Aimed at both newcomers and mentors, the event encourages collaboration and the sharing of knowledge, with mentors receiving specific guidance to aid attendees in the learning process. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP, whether they wish to learn or help guide others in the open source community.

The iconic GitHub mascot, Octocat, traditionally known for its two-dimensional existence, has now been brought to life as a three-dimensional 5-inch vinyl figurine. This new tangible version of Octocat can be purchased from the GitHub shop, offering fans a unique way to bring the character from their screens to their physical workspace. The announcement of this collectible item was made by Cameron McEfee.

GitHub has introduced improvements to its DMCA takedown process to enhance transparency and user experience, allowing users the opportunity to address issues before content is removed. The changes include not automatically disabling forks in a network unless specified in the takedown notice and offering a revamped, more understandable DMCA policy with how-to guides for takedown and counter notices. These updates aim to address the limitations of the conventional DMCA process, which was not well-suited for GitHub's environment, by providing clearer communication and options for resolution, particularly in cases where only specific files are in question.

A Patchwork hack night is scheduled for Thursday, October 23rd, 2014, at CodeBase in central Edinburgh, aimed at beginners wanting to learn Git and GitHub. This hands-on workshop, which requires no prior coding experience, offers participants the chance to gain practical skills, make new connections, and contribute to the open source community. Attendees will leave with a merged Pull Request and an enhanced understanding of Git and GitHub, guided by GitHub staff and community mentors. The event includes a Hello World tutorial, small group sessions, and a closing lightning talk on an open source project. Interested individuals can RSVP as either attendees or mentors, and will receive tutorial details via email prior to the event.

Beginners Welcome Patchwork is a practical workshop designed to teach Git and GitHub to newcomers, offering an opportunity to network and engage in meaningful discussions. Attendees will gain hands-on experience, leaving with a merged Pull Request, a visible contribution on their GitHub graph, and increased confidence to participate in the open-source community. The event encourages collaboration, with experienced mentors available to support participants throughout the process. Highlights include a talk by @muan on her journey in open source and insights from @yunico-jp on her method for learning and teaching Git. Scheduled for Monday, October 20th, from 18:30 to 21:30 at Recruit LifeStyle in Tokyo, the event promises to be an engaging introduction to Git and GitHub.

GitHub has enhanced its commit pages by including information about branches and tags for more context. Now, commits on a repository’s default branch also display the pull request that introduced them, allowing users to view discussions and understand the reasons behind changes. Users can bypass commit pages if they have the commit SHA by searching for the pull request directly. Further details are available in the Help documentation, and the update was announced by Yossef Mendelssohn.

GitHub is participating in the Grace Hopper Conference, offering a booth with the new Gracehoptocat sticker and hosting several events to engage attendees. On October 8th, GitHub will hold training workshops at the Phoenix Convention Center, aimed at teaching participants the basics of contributing to open-source projects using their platform. The focus is on empowering individuals to refine their programming skills and engage with the open-source community. On October 9th, GitHub will host Patchwork Phoenix, an event designed to help participants create a merged pull request and increase their confidence in open-source contribution. The event features talks by Rachel Myers and Kelsey Mariano, with the support of GitHub staff and local mentors, and includes pizza for attendees. Registration is required for participation.

The GitHub Student Developer Pack provides students with free access to a comprehensive suite of developer tools, enabling practical, hands-on learning experiences without the financial burden. Created in collaboration with various partners, this initiative allows students to utilize popular tools like GitHub, Atom, Bitnami, and DigitalOcean, among others, for free or at a significantly reduced cost. Over 100,000 students have already benefited from this program, which supports educational growth by offering resources such as cloud hosting, domain registration, and programming help. Eligibility requires students to be 13 or older and enrolled in a degree or diploma course, with access granted through a school email or proof of enrollment. The initiative encourages companies producing developer tools to participate by joining the pack and contributing their resources to support student developers.

Patchwork, a Git and GitHub workshop for beginners hosted by GitHub, will take place on October 14, 2014, from 7:00 to 10:00 pm at the 5xRuby offices in Taipei. This event requires no prior coding experience and aims to help participants learn about commits, pull requests, and merging in a collaborative environment with snacks and networking opportunities. Attendees will leave with a merged pull request and a contribution record on GitHub, gaining confidence to engage further in the open-source community. Experienced contributors are invited to join as mentors, assisting newcomers in navigating their first pull requests. Notable speakers, including @dice and @audreyt, will share their journeys in programming and open-source contributions. Registration is available for both attendees and mentors, with pre-event instructions provided to ensure participants are prepared.

GitHub has introduced new Issues and Pull Requests Dashboards, enhancing its platform by allowing users to efficiently manage work across all repositories from a centralized location. These dashboards, accessible via links at the top of the News Feed, build on a previous update to GitHub Issues, which improved searching and filtering capabilities within a single repository. The new dashboards enable users to quickly locate issues they’ve created, pull requests that mention their username, or issues assigned to them. Additionally, users can utilize custom advanced search filters to create personalized, frequently-used searches, significantly expanding the platform's utility and convenience for project management.

GitHub has introduced a new feature that allows users to view and diff SVG images directly on the platform, enhancing the ability to parse and compare rich information in these image files. This update aims to improve user experience by making changes in SVG images more accessible and understandable. For additional information, users can refer to the help documentation provided by GitHub. This feature was announced by Mike Skalnik, a GitHub representative.

James Dennes invites individuals to join several others, including @schacon, @mhagger, @vmg, @mastahyeti, @fooforge, @danishkhan, @mislav, and @pmn, for a casual meetup over beers in Kreuzberg on Wednesday, October 8th, at 20:00. The event details are straightforward, emphasizing the time and location, with the invitation being hosted by James Dennes, who is also known by the handle @jdennes. The gathering is tagged as an event and noted to involve a social interaction in a relaxed setting.

October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and GitHub is contributing to the cause by offering a new shirt in their shop, with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign. This initiative encourages individuals to show their support by purchasing and wearing the shirt, thereby helping to raise funds and awareness for the fight against breast cancer.