Hey everyone, I’m about to start an academic project and I’m thinking of using GitHub’s free plan to host it. I’m not looking for legal advice, just some practical info from those who’ve used the platform before.
I have a few questions:
- Does GitHub claim any rights to projects hosted on their site?
- What happens to the project data after I delete it from GitHub?
- Is there a chance my project could still be visible online months after removal?
I plan to keep the project on GitHub temporarily and then remove it once it’s done. I’ll save a local copy, of course.
If anyone has experience with this or knows how GitHub handles these situations, I’d really appreciate your input. Thanks in advance for any help!
As a developer who’s navigated similar concerns, I can share my experience with GitHub. While others have covered the basics, I’ll add some nuanced points.
GitHub’s terms of service are pretty clear - you retain rights to your code. However, by using their platform, you grant them a license to display and distribute it. This is necessary for the service to function.
Deletion is generally permanent, but there’s a catch. GitHub maintains backups for a period of time. While these aren’t publicly accessible, they exist for system integrity reasons.
One thing to consider is the Git history. Even if you delete sensitive info later, it remains in the commit history unless you rewrite it. This is crucial for academic work where you might accidentally commit something you shouldn’t.
My recommendation? Use a .gitignore file from the start to prevent accidentally committing sensitive data. And if you’re really concerned, consider using a self-hosted Git solution for ultimate control.
I’ve been using GitHub for years, both for personal and academic projects, and I can share some insights based on my experience.
GitHub doesn’t claim ownership of your projects. They’re just providing a hosting service. Your code remains yours.
When you delete a project, it’s generally gone from public view immediately. However, keep in mind that Git is a distributed version control system. If anyone forked your repository, they’d still have a copy.
As for visibility after removal, I’ve never encountered issues with deleted repos reappearing. That said, search engines might cache pages, so there’s a slim chance some info could linger for a short while.
My advice? If you’re concerned about privacy, consider using a private repository. GitHub offers free private repos for individuals. This way, you control who sees your work while still benefiting from version control and collaboration features.
As someone who’s used GitHub extensively for academic projects, I can offer some insights. GitHub doesn’t claim rights to your code - you retain full ownership. When you delete a project, it’s removed from public access immediately. However, be aware that if anyone forked your repo, they’d still have a copy.
In my experience, deleted projects don’t reappear after removal. But search engine caches might retain some information briefly. To mitigate this, consider using a private repository instead. GitHub’s free plan includes private repos, giving you more control over your project’s visibility.
Remember to be cautious about what you commit. Even in private repos, sensitive information should be kept out of your codebase. Use .gitignore files to exclude any data you don’t want tracked. This approach has served me well in managing academic projects on GitHub.
yo, been using github for a while. they don’t own ur stuff, it’s urs. when u delete, it’s gone quick. but if someone forked it, they got a copy still.
never seen deleted stuff come back, but search engines might keep some info for a bit.
if ur worried, go private repo. it’s free and keeps ur stuff hidden. just my 2 cents