abstract.txt

The Git Parable - a different approach to understanding Git

Learning and using Git commands is all well and good, but until you have a
working understanding of how Git itself thinks and works, it will still feel
like a strange beast with lots of sharp and pointy bits.

Based on Tom Preston-Werner's essay of the same name, this introductory Git
talk will start from scratch - using simple concepts like a text editor and
simple file system operations - to develop a simple and straightforward
version control system that is very similar to Git. This gives you a mental
model of how Git works, which will help you use Git more effectively and
might even clear up some common misunderstandings if you come from
centralized version control background.

The talk covers how Git does branching and merging in a distributed (and
partially disconnected) environment, how Git allows you to rewrite your
commit history to present a prettier set of changes to your peers, and
also why the concept of a staging area is so useful in your day-to-day
work. Finally, the talk explores some of the techniques that Git employs
to become incredibly fast and space-efficient.

Git might still have some sharp and pointy bits, but after this talk you
should be better equipped to understand how they can work to your advantage.

The talk is followed by a Q&A session, in which the speaker makes a futile
attempt at answering any and all Git-related questions that might arise.