Why would non tech savvy person all of a sudden be on github?

[rzxx58n89x-cyber]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Question

💬 Feature/Topic Area

GitHub Education

Body

Why does my bf all of a sudden need and use github? Is this to hide?

[abinaze]

Hi @rzxx58n89x-cyber,

It’s understandable to feel confused when someone suddenly starts using a platform like GitHub, especially if they’re not very tech-savvy.

That said, GitHub isn’t inherently something people use to “hide” things. It’s primarily a platform for:

• Learning programming or trying something new
• Following tutorials or online courses
• Accessing or downloading projects (many people use it without coding much)
• GitHub Education benefits (students often sign up for tools and free resources)

It’s actually quite common for beginners or even non-technical users to create accounts if:

• They’ve recently started learning something tech-related
• They were asked to use it for a course or workshop
• They’re exploring tools recommended online

If your concern is more about trust rather than the platform itself, GitHub alone isn’t really a strong signal of anything suspicious. It’s just a tool, and how it’s used can vary a lot.

If it’s bothering you, the best approach would probably be to just ask them directly in a calm way. You’ll likely get a much clearer answer than trying to infer meaning from the platform itself.

Hope that helps bring a bit of clarity.

[queenofcorgis]

Welcome! 👋

Thanks for posting in the GitHub Community, @rzxx58n89x-cyber ! We're happy you're here. You are more likely to get a useful response if you are posting in the applicable category. The Accessibility category is a place for our community to discuss and provide feedback on the digital accessibility of GitHub products. Digital accessibility means that GitHub tools, and technologies, are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them.

I've gone ahead and moved this to the correct category for you, Other. Good luck!

[Eahtasham]

Probably not anything shady.

Most likely he’s just:

• trying to learn something (coding, AI, courses)
• following tutorials or downloading stuff
• using it because everyone online suddenly says “use GitHub”

GitHub is actually a terrible place to hide things. If behavior is normal, it’s just curiosity, not a secret life.

[Filip2193128041]

GitHub isn't just for "hiding" stuff - honestly, it's kind of the opposite. Everything on GitHub is visible (unless they're using private repos), so it's not really a tool for secrecy.
Some common reasons someone might suddenly start using GitHub:
Taking an online course or bootcamp that requires it
Working on a personal project or learning to code
Needing it for work/school
Following a tutorial that uses GitHub for examples
Wanting to contribute to open source projects
That said, I get why it might seem suspicious if it came out of nowhere. The best way to know for sure? Just ask them what they're working on! Most people are pretty excited to share what they're learning or building. You could even ask to see their profile - if they're genuinely learning or working on something, they'll probably be happy to show you.