GitHub's latest rate limit update is causing widespread frustration among developers, with unauthenticated users now restricted to just 60 requests per hour—a number that feels more like a digital speed bump than a reasonable browsing allowance.

Online commentators are quick to point fingers at AI companies, suggesting the move is a direct response to aggressive data scraping. The underlying tension is clear: GitHub, now owned by Microsoft, is trying to protect its ecosystem from being strip-mined by AI training models that contribute little back to the open-source community.

The practical impact is significant. Casual code browsing, which was once a frictionless experience, now feels like navigating a heavily guarded digital border. Some users report getting rate-limited while simply clicking through repository files, turning what should be a smooth exploration into a stop-and-go experience.

Interestingly, the developer community isn't just complaining—they're exploring alternatives. Platforms like Forgejo, Gitea, and self-hosted solutions are gaining traction as developers seek more control and fewer corporate restrictions. The message is clear: if GitHub continues to make browsing difficult, developers will find—or build—other paths.

The broader context is a growing tension between open collaboration and commercial interests. As AI companies continue to harvest data without meaningful compensation or attribution, platforms like GitHub are implementing increasingly aggressive defensive measures. Whether this approach will protect the open-source ecosystem or ultimately fracture it remains to be seen.