Microsoft Uses Author's Git Branching Diagram Without Attribution on Learn Portal
By
cheeaun
Master baker tier. Every paragraph earns its place on the tray.
Summary
The article describes how Microsoft used the author's Git branching model diagram from 2010 on their Learn portal without proper attribution. The author created the original diagram in Apple Keynote and published it with source files, allowing widespread adoption in books, talks, and documentation. While the author didn't mind the diagram's broad use, they express frustration with Microsoft's lack of attribution and the company's history of similar behavior with open source contributions.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledI designed that diagram in Apple Keynote, at the time obsessing over the colors, the curves, and the layout until it clearly communicated how branches relate to each other over time.
I also published the source file so others could build on it. That diagram has since spread everywhere: in books, talks, blog posts, team wikis, and YouTube videos.
I never minded. The diagram was meant to be shared, and I was happy to see it help people understand Git branching.
But seeing it on Microsoft's Learn portal, with no attribution, felt different.
This isn't the first time Microsoft has done this. They have a history of taking open source work and presenting it as their own.
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