Microsoft buys GitHub

[Dave Morris]

Ok, I'll admit it. Markus Demleitner was right, GitHub might not be the 
safe place I thought it was.

     
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/06/microsoft-snaps-up-github-for-7-5-billion/

If I'd have know this was coming I probably wouldn't have been so keen 
to move our code to GitHub right now.

Existing projects in GitHub are not going to migrate away en-mass just 
because the commercial entity that owns it changes. However, it might be 
sensible for projects thinking of joining GitHub to be a bit more 
cautious and see how things pan out before they migrate.

The hard question is to guess where GitHub will be in 10 years time. 
Turns out that GitHub was in a vulnerable position, and selling to 
Microsoft may give them the resources they need.

     "GitHub needed a buyer, and there aren't too many options."
     
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/06/everyone-complaining-about-microsoft-buying-github-needs-to-offer-a-better-solution/

On the other hand, there must be a reason why Microsoft thought GitHub 
was worth 7.5 billion. The most rational explanation I've seen so far is 
they plan on using it as a gateway to sell Azure services.

     "Looks like Microsoft is planning to be the Adobe of the dev/cloud 
world"
     
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/06/microsoft-snaps-up-github-for-7-5-billion/?comments=1&post=35441781

     "Microsoft wants to sell you Azure services."
     
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/06/everyone-complaining-about-microsoft-buying-github-needs-to-offer-a-better-solution/?comments=1&post=35446503

10 years ago would any of us have predicted this ?

     "There's a Linux subsystem in Windows, and MS is embracing a VCS 
created by Mr. Torvalds."
     
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/06/everyone-complaining-about-microsoft-buying-github-needs-to-offer-a-better-solution/?comments=1&post=35446497

What next ?

Dave

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Dave Morris
Research Software Engineer
Wide Field Astronomy Unit
Institute for Astronomy
University of Edinburgh
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