In this post, I want to reflect on what version control has come to mean for me, especially through my experiences working on two collaborative digital projects: Reframing Collections: From Geographic Generalizations to Cultural Context and Mapping East Lansing Memories. Both projects have been meaningful in completely different ways, but together they have reshaped how I understand collaboration, communication, and what it means to work responsibly in a shared digital space.
This experience has shown me that version control is not just a technical tool. For me, it represents a mindset — a commitment to collaborative responsibility, transparency, and intentionality. Learning GitHub for the first time during the CHI fellowship has not only improved my workflow; it has reshaped how I think about teaching, learning, and creating together.