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Comment by ctdonath | Hacker News Reader

What's the story behind Octocat?

That...thing...doesn't really do much for me as far as a corporate logo goes. Rather complex shape (see references to scaling problems), sorta catish but not, WTH is that weird tail (cat, four legs and a...), this post is the first reference to "octo" I've seen in the months I've used the service, there's 5 limbs not 8, etc. Makes me think of a little kid in a Halloween costume.

"Github" name works fine. "Git" spoofs "get" a la archiving, "hub" is central connector/repository, concatenated the name just rolls off the tongue and instantly works as a coined term. Rendered in a nice unique font, great. But then there's that creature...

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It was a stock image apparently. Here are a bunch of the others: http://octodex.github.com/

I've always figured it fits because: 1) The internet likes cats. 2) Git can do octopus merges I guess?

Ah, thanks for that - I didn't realise they were stock images.

The Github for Android logo is amongst those too http://octodex.github.com/droidtocat/

http://www.idokungfoo.com/ is the original illustrator, he sells artwork on istockphoto.com.

It was a stock image that started on the 404 page. People loved it, so the octocat started showing up in more and more places and then grew to become the logo.

Git isn't a spoof of get, Linus named it because he's a git. Or at least that's what he said once.

From the official Git README:

    "git" can mean anything, depending on your mood.

     - random three-letter combination that is pronounceable, and not
       actually used by any common UNIX command. The fact that it is a
       mispronunciation of "get" may or may not be relevant.
     - stupid. contemptible and despicable. simple. Take your pick from the
       dictionary of slang.
     - "global information tracker": you're in a good mood, and it actually
       works for you. Angels sing, and a light suddenly fills the room.
     - "goddamn idiotic truckload of sh*t": when it breaks

https://github.com/git/git/blob/master/README

Wonderful.

And that's why git's awesome.

Well, Linus is. But by extension that makes git awesome so you are technically correct (the best kind).

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