1. What is GitHub?

GitHub is a hosting platform for Git repositories. You can use Git on its own without Github (and other similar platforms), but it's difficult to collaborate or share your code with. others.

<aside> 🔴 Make sure to first familiarize yourself with Git before proceeding. Check out my Learn Git In 15 Minutes tutorial here (also, you can find the Git notes here).

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Git is used to store projects inside repositories and track the complete history of all changes to the project code. Using GitHub, we can upload a local project repository to a remote cloud-based GitHub repository. We can also interact with public repositories published by other developers.

<aside> ℹī¸ GitHub could even be looked at as a social networking website for developers. Users can follow each other, give ratings, collaborate and communicate.

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GitHub allows developers to utilize, change or improve software from its repositories. Each repository contains all project files and the code history. Repositories can have multiple collaborators and can be either public or private.

GitHub is also a popular way developers to publish their project portfolio online. It's an easy way to showcase skills and experience to potential employers or clients. It's an important technology to be familiar with, especially for a new developer who is just starting out.

<aside> ℹī¸ GitHub homepage: github.com

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2. Getting started with GitHub

GitHub allows developers to access a remote central repository hosted on the internet. A developer can clone(basically download) the hosted remote repository to their computer and work on a local version of the project. They can work on the code or develop new features on their local computer and whenever they're ready, those changes can be pushed to the remote repository hosted on GitHub, where other developers or team members can download it to their computer and stay synchronized with the project development.

<aside> 📌 If you haven't already, follow the instructions from the Learn Git In 15 Minutes video tutorial to set up Git on your computer.

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2.1. Registering a GitHub account

Before we can start using GitHub, we need to register our own GitHub account.

To register a new account, visit GitHub.com and find the 'Sign up' option on their website, or visit this page directly: **https://github.com/join**

Choose your new GitHub username, specify your existing email address (it's important to use your real email address because we will need to verify our account when we finalize the registration process) and the password of your choosing.

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