Modern version control systems are optimized to be disk efficient. In the twenty first century, this seems like the wrong variable to optimize for. Instead, version control systems should focus on making it easier for developers to teach and learn from each other. This video demonstrates a prototype tool, Storyteller, that acts as a version control system that captures very fine grained information about the development process. With this information, developers can animate the changes in their code, and more importantly, create narratives about how and why their code evolves. I believe that these ‘stories’ will allow less skilled developers to become better by watching and consuming stories from more skilled ones and that maintainers will learn about their systems with less effort.
