# git history

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/git-history/

6 people recommended git history in Hacker News comments, 3 had mixed feelings and 6 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 12 months, in 3 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

3 of the 6 people who recommend it commented in one thread, “The Git history command deserves more attention”.

**Verdict:** Gives Git simpler commands for common history edits such as reword, fixup and split, a safer step up from interactive rebase. Critics say it adds little beyond existing tools.

Summary written by Claude from 15 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Handy for common history edits (3 comments in the sample): "becomes a good, safe stepping stone for a handful of common tasks" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48909720)) "That and `history split` will sure come handy!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48904222)) "seems to be useful for quick reword" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47838563))
- Simpler than interactive rebase (2 comments in the sample): "rebase -i has always been a sledgehammer when sometimes you just need a scalpel" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47887532)) "these commands are a bit more ergonomic" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48903634))

## What people warn about

- Adds little beyond existing tools (3 comments in the sample): "Git history isn’t a major improvement, but it’s an improvement on a major weak point." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49365617)) "he ought to know that these use cases are well-covered already" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46174250)) "Wonder if the history command is all that useful." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48901230))
- Bypasses standard commit logic (2 comments in the sample): "That feels like a huge oversight and like it bypasses standard commit logic." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48902663)) "there's no way to get `git history` commands to sign commits they modify" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48902112))

## Other version control features people recommend

- [Git worktree](https://hackerapproved.com/p/git-worktrees/): 46 recommend, 10 mixed, 19 criticize
- [git rebase](https://hackerapproved.com/p/git-rebase/): 21 recommend, 2 mixed, 11 criticize
- [git rerere](https://hackerapproved.com/p/git-rerere/): 16 recommend, 2 mixed, 4 criticize
- [git add -p](https://hackerapproved.com/p/git-add-p/): 11 recommend, 2 mixed, 4 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "git history", https://hackerapproved.com/p/git-history/ (6 recommend, 3 mixed, 6 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.