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GitHub contribution graph can be harmful to contributors

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Re: GitHub contribution graph can be harmful to contributors

#51

Post by p4wnc6 »

As I mentioned in another comment, I've had interviewers grill me about gaps in my contribution history before.

I sometimes will link to a pedagogical Python package that I maintain to show how I work with Python/Cython, and also that I know the ropes with packaging, complex travis-ci scripts, and workflow management on GitHub.

I expect them to ask about that project, or the handful of other open source contributions I've made, but would never expect them to go hunt down my contribution history and nitpick.

In one case it was a non-technical HR interviewer who thought it was clever to grill me about why I hadn't made a commit to a certain repo in several months. It was the repo where I store configuration files, like .emacs, and I just didn't have any config updates in that time period. However politely I tried to say that's just not the sort of repo that would reflect regular engineering, she did not seem willing to drop it, and went on about how they want to hire "passionate" developers who code "because it's in their DNA."

O_o

I really wish GitHub would allow users to disable the contribution tracking if they wish. I don't like the idea that an interviewer, or a boss, can go digging around and maybe even try to use it against me (e.g. you said you couldn't come in to work this weekend, but I see that you were able to commit something on an open source project...)

Even if that risk is low, why should we have zero ability to choose not to bear it?

The saddest part is that when this has happened in interviews, it's been with two major US tech companies that are popular and widely regarded as places that many people want to work. So it's not as easy as dismissing a recruiter who snoops through your GitHub contributions. The company they represent may be widely known to be excellent.

Re: GitHub contribution graph can be harmful to contributors

#52

Post by emodendroket »

frewsxcv wrote: post #31

To me, coding is fun. Stockholm syndrome? Maybe? Regardless, I don't think people aren't in a position to tell others what is/isn't fun. https://xkcd.com/359/

I like reading books, but I don't want to spend every waking hour reading either.

Re: GitHub contribution graph can be harmful to contributors

#53

Post by [deleted] »

Khao wrote: post #2

Is this an April Fools joke? I've never seen anyone who gave a fuck about their contribution graph and record streak, except for devs who developped clever git repos that make your contribution graph show pixel art (which is pretty awesome). I want to say if you feel pressure when looking at your contribution graph, it's all in your head and you should take a break because you're clearly not thinking straight.

[deleted]

Re: GitHub contribution graph can be harmful to contributors

#55

Post by p4wnc6 »

emodendroket wrote: post #49
p4wnc6 wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've had interviewers ask me why I had certain gaps in my contribution graph before. Sometimes from large, successful tech companies that are widely sought after for jobs.

That seems like a reason to pass on them, to be honest.

I did pass because I'm way too picky about jobs to put up with that. But even so, what if I had been desperate for a job and passing just wasn't an option?

I also mentioned that this was a place that is widely regarded as a great employer. Most engineers would want to work there. It makes it really hard to say that the weird behavior of one recruiter is a good reason to pass, but at the same time, no one should have to put up with having their frequency of open source contribution questioned like that.

Re: GitHub contribution graph can be harmful to contributors

#57

Post by emodendroket »

p4wnc6 wrote: post #55
emodendroket wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That seems like a reason to pass on them, to be honest.

I did pass because I'm way too picky about jobs to put up with that. But even so, what if I had been desperate for a job and passing just wasn't an option? I also mentioned that this was a place that is widely regarded as a great employer. Most engineers would want to work there. It makes it really hard to say that the weird behavior of one recruiter is a good reason to pass, but at the same time, no one should have…

Oh, no, I don't disagree with you and the culture of celebrating spending every waking hour writing code is harmful. But, also, if someone asked me that and I wasn't totally desperate I would be dropping out of consideration at that point.

Re: GitHub contribution graph can be harmful to contributors

#58

Post by p4wnc6 »

Khao wrote: post #21
konschubert wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you are right and nobody cares about it, that's a good reason to remove it. If you are wrong and people care about it, maybe the poster has a point. Nevertheless, I think there is a point in having a coarse activity indicator in order to assess how likely somebody is going to respond to issues or pull requests.

I don't care about my own contribution graph, but I still find the feature useful when looking at other profiles. It's informative and it even looks nice. I do 95% of my work on Github in private repos at work, and 5% on open source projects, so my contribution graph is pretty abysmal. I don't mind, because it's what I actually do. It represents me in a fair way. It lets others looking at my profile know "hey, this d…

Some people would not prefer that this information about them is easily publicly available like that, as I mentioned in my other comment about how this has come up in job interviews in a negative way.

Re: GitHub contribution graph can be harmful to contributors

#59

Post by donatj »

arien wrote: post #35
donatj wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who used to care about streaks, it only takes one small commit and it can be a small reword of a readme ;)

Or a little cronjob that commits harmless changes later in the week? :P I don't care about the contribution streak, but do have friends who comment on theirs on Twitter now and then. I suppose it's just another thing to be proud of...

There actually are a handful of tools that let you cheat including one that lets you write text onto the chart.

Re: GitHub contribution graph can be harmful to contributors

#60

Post by Khao »

p4wnc6 wrote: post #58
Khao wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't care about my own contribution graph, but I still find the feature useful when looking at other profiles. It's informative and it even looks nice. I do 95% of my work on Github in private repos at work, and 5% on open source projects, so my contribution graph is pretty abysmal. I don't mind, because it's what I actually do. It represents me in a fair way. It lets others looking at my profile know "hey, this d…

Some people would not prefer that this information about them is easily publicly available like that, as I mentioned in my other comment about how this has come up in job interviews in a negative way.

If you contribute open source, your contribution will be out in the open. That's the whole point of it. If you remove it from Github, any website will be able to pull the same info and display it since it's all public information.
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