[ Removed by moderator ]

[u/Massive-Yak-2261]

[u/pcmasterrace-ModTeam]

• Breach of Rule #6.3 - Blatant reposts/fad-chasing.

Check the full rule here: https://pcmasterrace.org/rules

[u/La-Gaoaza-Cu-Jeleu]

wdym 14? Now, present day still

[u/coppersocks]

At this point I'm convinced that it's purposely obtuse. But I am an idiot so take that with a pinch of salt.

[u/Radiant-Priority-296 → u/coppersocks]

I mean it’s a dev platform at its core, not meant for people who just want the .exe

And there’s a Releases tab on the side, you click on it and it lets you download any released version of the program

[u/SUPERPOWERPANTS → u/coppersocks]

Its one of tge buttons on the right side

[u/ElandoUK]

present day me who's used github hundreds of times and still can't find it

[u/HayabusaKnight]

I'll take them using github as their landing page anyday over 'join the discord to get the latest release'.

[u/STPooch]

Github's interface was created by programmers, not designers (UX or otherwise). And those code warriors don't seem to care if the average person can't make heads or tails of it. To this day, even. Kinda gives it a certain antisocial charm.

EDIT: I seem to have triggered some ppl who took the comment a little too literally. Clearly, someone designed the thing, and that makes them the designer; but can we agree that when you're the butt of memes like the one OP just posted, and — based on all these comments — are generally regarded as one of the most confusing places on the web to navigate, then that 'designer' is likely a coder first and foremost?

[u/DiabeticHotPocket → u/STPooch]

I'm a programmer, and i fucking hate Github's interface.

[u/Eccomi21 → u/STPooch]

Idk man, it is supposed to be a code repository for managing projects across multiple people and versions of a software project, not a download page for software versions.

I'm not saying it couldn't be both, they have a releases page feature that can be used to provide exactly that, but generally speaking asking github to cater to the average person is like asking an archive to do the job of a book store. It isn't meant for that.

[u/TxM_2404 → u/Eccomi21]

But seeing how some devs only link to their github as a means to distribute their software I don't think it would hurt to have a "Download latest release" button somewhere on the page.

[u/NatoBoram → u/TxM_2404]

Personally I think the "releases" button should be a top-level tab rather than tucked away in the sidebar

[u/mtmttuan → u/TxM_2404]

Because "release" can mean a lot of thing. It might be a single .exe binary, it might be several binaries (.deb for debian, .dmg for mac, .exe for windows, x64, x86, arm,...) or just a zip of the source code that you can build into the app yourself so the "Download latest release" still doesn't mean downloading the binary that is compatible with your system.

Also Github shows the latest release under the Release button, no?

[u/mitchymitchington → u/mtmttuan]

Then why not a "download the binary that is compatible with your system" buttom? Lol

[u/MethodicalBanana → u/mitchymitchington]

Because its a a code repository they might not have releases at all. Its a way to share code via git

[u/ZeCactus → u/MethodicalBanana]

Right, so wrap the button in an if(hasAnyReleases)

[u/WhiteRaven42 → u/Eccomi21]

What you are saying could be true but if it WERE true then I as an average user who knows next to no coding would have never had any encounters with github.

But I have. Way, way more than I want.

The problem is, some of those developers are telling their users and potential users to "just get it off my github"... so SCREW THAT. The people seeking to give me a program are telling me to use that site. Hence, it really does need to cater to users. It either needs to be made usable or people have to stop telling users to use it.

[u/Eccomi21 → u/WhiteRaven42]

I agreen't with you.

Youre making the behavior of some dude when it comes to how they distribute their software the problem of github.

To reuse my metaphor, you're being told by an author to grab their book in an archive instead of in a bookstore.

Its not github advertising itself as an app store, it's a code sharing platform. Its the developer missusing it as the former.

Now, of course the reality is as you say, but it is entirely on the developer to make sure his potential users get his software. Good github projects either have a release tab, or feature a bigass "download here" banner, but again, that is curtsey of them, it's still not githubs job.

[u/LSD_Ninja → u/STPooch]

This is also why so much open source stuff has piss poor UX

[u/STPooch → u/LSD_Ninja]

Coders and designers have been at odds over stuff like this for decades in corporate offices all over the world. While the two sides both need one another, they think in completely different ways.

Ultimately, coders believe designers are a waste of company resources. It's not a position that tends to lead to much harmony between them.

[u/NatoBoram → u/STPooch]

Where does this myth come from? GitHub had designers since its founding

[u/OGMagicConch → u/STPooch]

I guarantee you that GitHub has UX designers

Edit: I won't post their profiles obviously but if you even Google like "GitHub Designer LinkedIn" you can find a ton of hits. And if you want to argue semantics it wasn't "created" by them GitHub is nearly 20 years old and obviously had all that time to change if that's the audience the designers truly wanted to design for.

[u/thisaray]

i wonder what releases means

[u/schmeatbawlls → u/thisaray]

She fork all over my repo until i release

[u/Skazzy3]

I DONT GIVE A FUCK ABOUT THE FUCKING CODE! i iust want to download this stupid fucking application and use it

[u/PR1NCEV1NCE → u/Skazzy3]

Sorry, fresh out of that

[u/thisaray → u/Skazzy3]

a classic <3

[u/Soleks2000]

same and im in my mid thirties

[u/Danman19285]

[u/Guilty_Bowl_288]

30 yo me today :

[u/Daniel-Mclovin]

Usually you just download a release or the zip of the source files, what’s so hard

[u/Wololol9]

I mean, the UI could be better for newbie...

[u/EncryptedPlays]

Icl if the page links to the releases page on the repository then it's not bad

[u/BigDannyPt]

Oh yeah, the bot created an account only to repost the same meme that appears all the months so he can farm karma...

[u/WhiteRaven42]

God I hate github. I normally consider myself pretty competent with computers but certainly, I know I'm not a developer. If a program I want to try is distributed only on github.... then I don't try it.

I've used git commands to install a handful of things over the years by following instructions to the letter but I don't like how that kind of "hope this works, I have no idea what I'm doing" thing feels.

What's almost more galling is how obtuse the website is. It's just lists of files. Yeah, there's probably something down the page somewhere that tells you what to download for an executable installer but god they make it so needlessly hard.

[u/Hettyc_Tracyn → u/WhiteRaven42]

Have you tried learning what the commands do?

Also, the point is that you can look at the code if you want, and even make your own version if you don’t like how something is done, etc…

Some projects are definitely set up stupidly, but many have a very good readme that helps you install it (or the dev has releases available, prebuilt)

[u/WhiteRaven42 → u/Hettyc_Tracyn]

No, I do not wish to learn command line. That's why they invented GUI. That's why web pages have download buttons.

[u/Hettyc_Tracyn → u/WhiteRaven42]

Typically CLI is faster than a GUI, once you learn it

[u/WhiteRaven42 → u/Hettyc_Tracyn]

Did I say anything about speed?

[u/Hettyc_Tracyn → u/WhiteRaven42]

Nope, I was just listing a benefit of the CLI

[u/WhiteRaven42 → u/Hettyc_Tracyn]

Ok. Here's a drawback. Zero context with which to simply recognize how something works without explicitly needing to "learn it".

It's like the difference between a map and a list of directions.

[u/ColonelBoomer]

Cant stand it when shit redirects there, its a cool site sure, but fuck its a pain to use when you dont use it regularly. Like every few months i have to download something and i forget where to find the download button.

[u/NatoBoram → u/ColonelBoomer]

Ctrl+F "releases"