Twenty years after its creation, Git has become the backbone of modern software collaboration, transforming how developers track and share code across the globe. What began as Linus Torvalds' weekend project to solve the Linux kernel's version control challenges has evolved into a revolutionary tool that powers nearly every major software project.

Online commentators reflecting on Git's history highlight its remarkable journey from a simple content management system to an indispensable development tool. The version control system emerged from the dramatic fallout with BitKeeper, a proprietary version control system that the Linux kernel development team had been using.

The unique design of Git, with its content-addressable storage and distributed architecture, set it apart from previous version control systems. Where older tools like CVS and Subversion relied on centralized repositories and linear version tracking, Git introduced a fundamentally different approach that allowed developers unprecedented flexibility in managing code.

Interestingly, Git was not an immediate success. It competed directly with Mercurial, another distributed version control system created around the same time. GitHub's rise played a crucial role in Git's eventual dominance, providing a user-friendly platform that made collaboration easier than ever before.

Despite its ubiquity, Git is not without criticism. Many online commentators argue that while revolutionary, the tool still has significant usability challenges. Its complex command-line interface and intricate internal model continue to perplex many developers, leading to ongoing discussions about potential improvements and alternative version control systems.