DEV Community

Cover image for Leaving GitHub: A Senior Developer’s Warning on "Digital Hostage" Situations
Miloš P.
Miloš P.

Posted on

Leaving GitHub: A Senior Developer’s Warning on "Digital Hostage" Situations

The Incident: 22 days ago, my GitHub account (active for years, clean record, paying Copilot subscriber) was suspended without a single email or explanation. My work, including tools supporting research in Antarctica, was instantly turned into 404 pages.

The Reality Check: Despite 25 years of engineering experience and a paid subscription, I’ve been met with total silence. My professional email addresses are now "trapped" in their system, and I cannot move my identity elsewhere.

The Lesson:

  1. Copilot is a productivity trap: The seconds it saves you are nothing compared to the weeks lost in "support limbo."
  2. 99% of GitHub is noise: Most solutions are mediocre; don't waste your time building a reputation on a platform that treats you like a row in a database.
  3. The ROI isn't there: I have spent more time fighting their bots than I ever gained from their services.

The Future: I am moving my work to independent channels. My code is safe in my local archives. GitHub is no longer part of my workflow. If you value your time and autonomy, have a "Plan B".

Top comments (0)