Every lesson so far worked entirely on one machine. GitHub hosts a Git repository online — making it reachable from anywhere, shareable with others, and the platform most real collaboration (and most job applications' portfolio links) actually happens on.
github.com offers a free tier covering everything this course needs — unlimited public and private repositories, issues, and pull requests.
| Element | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Code tab | The file browser and the clone URL |
| README | Rendered automatically below the file list if a README.md exists — usually a project's first impression |
| Issues tab | Bug reports and feature requests — covered in a later lesson |
| Pull requests tab | Proposed changes awaiting review — covered in a later lesson |
| Stars | A lightweight "bookmark and endorse" signal from other users |
| Forks | How many people have copied the repository to their own account |
| Public | Private |
|---|---|
| Anyone can view the code | Only invited collaborators can view it |
| Good for a portfolio piece, open-source work | Good for client work, anything with real secrets or sensitive logic |
| Free, unlimited | Also free and unlimited on GitHub's current free tier |
Why this matters beyond just backups
A public GitHub profile with real, working repositories is one of the most concrete pieces of proof a beginner developer can show — covered directly in this site's Career Skills course.
