Did you know you can have “followers” on GitHub? Probably. How about “watchers” who get alerted every time you push commits? Imagine how easily watchers can leverage your activity to take advantage of your code.

Just a few months ago, someone on my team noticed one of our company’s projects was public instead of private. I took a look and noticed that there was a “watcher” who didn’t belong to our organization. Then I looked at my personal GitHub and noticed the same “watcher” was on all of my public repositories. Then I went to my colleagues’ personal GitHubs and noticed the same thing. This was alarming for a number of reasons, but there was no question it was a security risk.

The Power of RepoPeeper

This experience highlighted the urgent need for a tool to manage repository privacy settings effectively. So, I leveraged the power of RepoSweeper’s GitHub connector and UI to build a feature that bulk manages privacy settings of repositories. Now, you can bulk manage your GitHub repositories’ privacy settings for free with just the click of a button. Use the tool here. Just select RepoPeeper from the tools section.

Why Knowing Who’s Viewing Your Repositories Matters

Managing who can view and access your repositories is crucial for several reasons:

1. Enhancing Security and Privacy: Open-source projects are often the target of malicious activities, such as code theft, unauthorized access, or direct attacks. By knowing who is viewing your repositories, you can detect unusual patterns and take preemptive measures to protect your code. For example, if you notice a sudden spike in views from an unfamiliar region, it might be worth investigating further.
2. Building and Engaging Your Community: Understanding who is interested in your work allows you to engage with your audience more effectively. By identifying frequent viewers and contributors, you can foster a community of supporters and collaborators. This engagement can lead to better feedback, more contributions, and ultimately, higher quality projects.
3. Tailoring Communication and Marketing Strategies: Knowing your audience helps in tailoring your communication and marketing strategies. If you are aware that a particular demographic is highly interested in your repositories, you can create content that appeals directly to them, increasing engagement and satisfaction.

Introducing RepoPeeper

RepoPeeper is designed to simplify the process of managing privacy settings for your GitHub repositories. With RepoPeeper, you can:

• Bulk Manage Privacy Settings: Adjust the privacy settings of multiple repositories at once, saving you time and effort.
• Monitor Viewership: Gain insights into who is viewing your repositories and identify potential security threats.
• Enhance Security: Quickly identify and remove unauthorized viewers, ensuring your projects remain secure.

RepoPeeper empowers developers and organizations to take control of their repositories, providing peace of mind and enhanced security.

Streamlining Repository Management with RepoSweeper

In addition to managing privacy settings, keeping your GitHub account organized is essential. Over time, you may accumulate old or inactive repositories that clutter your workspace and make it difficult to manage your active projects. This is where RepoSweeper comes into play.

RepoSweeper is designed to help you bulk delete old repositories, streamlining your GitHub account and making it easier to focus on what matters most. With RepoSweeper, you can:

• Quickly Identify Inactive Repositories: Automatically detect repositories that have not been updated in a while.
• Bulk Delete: Remove multiple repositories with a single action, freeing up space and reducing clutter.
• Maintain Organization: Keep your GitHub account tidy and organized, improving your overall workflow.

For more on how to use RepoSweeper effectively, check out this article.

Conclusion

Knowing who is viewing your GitHub repositories is not just about satisfying curiosity; it’s about enhancing security, building a community, and ensuring efficient management of your projects. Tools like RepoPeeper and RepoSweeper are invaluable in this regard, providing the functionality needed to manage privacy settings and delete old repositories efficiently.

With RepoPeeper, you can take control of your repository’s privacy settings and ensure only authorized users have access. Meanwhile, RepoSweeper helps you maintain an organized and clutter-free GitHub account by allowing you to bulk delete outdated repositories. Together, these tools empower you to manage your GitHub projects more effectively, providing peace of mind and allowing you to focus on developing great software.

RepoPeeper and RepoSweeper are your new best friends in GitHub management. Try them out today to experience a more secure, organized, and efficient GitHub experience.

Original article here: https://medium.com/@osoh_app/do-you-have-github-stalkers-why-you-need-to-know-whos-viewing-your-github-repositories-b50366970344