Communication Design Quarterly Jul 2022 Open Access

Alternate histories and conflicting futures: git version control as software development infrastructure

Eric J. York Clarkson University

Abstract

Despite their central importance to a variety of endeavors and despite widespread use in both industry and academia, version control systems (software for tracking versions of files) have not been extensively studied in fields related to technical communication, rhetoric, and communication design. Git, by far the most dominant version control system today, is largely absent. This study theorizes Git as boundary infrastructure---infrastructure used to facilitate collaboration across disciplines and domains. The unique characteristics of boundary infrastructure explain how something as prominent as Git can be so invisible and help identify dangers posed by boundary infrastructure. Drawing on modes of resistance developed in feminist rhetorics, this article concludes with suggestions to ameliorate the negatives effects such infrastructure might have on collaborative knowledge work.

Journal
Communication Design Quarterly
Published
2022-07-01
DOI
10.1145/3507857.3507863
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Topics
rhetorical criticism feminist rhetorics collaborative writing technical communication gender and writing
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