Theory

Updated

October 30, 2026

Theory: Default is Gravity; Lock-in is Extra Objects Outside Git

GitHub became default by network effects, not by owning the Git protocol. Lock-in lives in identity, Actions YAML, Packages, issue graphs, and marketplace apps — data Git does not clone.

Invariants

  1. A Git remote is replaceable; a social graph is not.
  2. CI, packages, and issues are forge databases.
  3. Multi-homing (two remotes) preserves Git objects only.
  4. Regulation and data residency constrain where a forge may run.
Git objects     portable
PRs, Actions, Packages, stars    forge-specific

What can break

  • Calling git clone a full backup of a GitHub org.

How to read this chapter

How GitHub won, lock-in, geopolitics, what “beyond” means, comparison rubric.