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wtf is github-follow?

akarshsatija/github-follow — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-07-18 · repo last pushed 2017-01-28

JavaScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5DormantSetup · easy

TL;DR

An app that notifies you automatically when someone follows or unfollows your GitHub account, so you don't have to compare lists yourself.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Tracks followers
      Sends notifications
      Detects unfollows
    Tech stack
      Rails
      GitHub sign-in
      Heroku hosting
    Use cases
      Track audience growth
      Watch reputation
      Notice unfollows
    Audience
      Maintainers
      Developer advocates

Code map

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Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Get notified automatically when someone new follows your GitHub account.

REASON 2

See when a previous follower unfollows you without manually checking your list.

REASON 3

Track how your GitHub audience grows or shrinks after a popular commit or project launch.

What's in the stack?

Ruby on Rails

How it stacks up

akarshsatija/github-follow3rd-eden/ircb.ioa15n/a15n
LanguageJavaScriptJavaScriptJavaScript
Last pushed2017-01-282016-11-162019-04-07
MaintenanceDormantDormantDormant
Setup difficultyeasyeasyeasy
Complexity2/52/52/5
Audiencedeveloperdevelopergeneral

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Runs on Heroku, so availability depends on the developer keeping that hosting active.

Wtf does this do

The GitHub Follower Notification App does exactly what it sounds like: it tells you when someone new starts following your GitHub account and when someone stops following you. If you've ever wondered who dropped you after a project shipped or who picked you up after a popular commit, this tool keeps you in the loop automatically. The app connects to your GitHub account through a standard sign-in process, the kind where you click a button, approve a request, and let the app read your follower list. Behind the scenes it's built with a web framework called Rails, and it checks your follower list periodically to see what's changed. When someone new appears or a previous follower disappears, it sends you a notification so you don't have to manually compare lists yourself. This is most useful for people who have a meaningful public presence on GitHub, maintainers of open source projects, developer advocates, educators who share course repos, or anyone whose professional reputation is partly tied to their GitHub footprint. If you only have a handful of followers, the value is limited. But if you're running a repo with real traction and want to understand how your audience is growing or shrinking over time, this gives you a simple signal without much effort on your part. The README is quite sparse, so it doesn't go into detail on how notifications are delivered, how often checks happen, or what customization options exist. There's a link to the live app and a separate documentation page for those who want to dig further. One thing worth noting: the app runs on Heroku, a platform for hosting web applications, which means availability depends on whether the developer keeps that hosting active.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Explain how this app checks my GitHub follower list periodically and detects changes.
Prompt 2
Help me sign in with GitHub to connect this app to my account.
Prompt 3
What would I need to build a similar follower-tracking notifier using the GitHub API?
Prompt 4
Why might this app's notifications stop working if the Heroku hosting goes down?

Frequently asked questions

wtf is github-follow?

An app that notifies you automatically when someone follows or unfollows your GitHub account, so you don't have to compare lists yourself.

What language is github-follow written in?

Mainly JavaScript. The stack also includes Ruby on Rails.

Is github-follow actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2017-01-28).

How hard is github-follow to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is github-follow for?

Mainly developer.

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