The question is certainly interesting: why should I use a platform (GitHub), that seems to be though with code in mind, to host a blog? The main reasons that comes to my mind are:

  • Collaboration;
  • Simplicity;
  • Separation of concern;
  • Availability and performance;

Collaboration

Being hosted as an open and public repository anyone can chime in and suggest a new blob post idea. The other interesting thing is that since posts are just plain markdown files if the reader can issue a pull request to fix or improve a blog post. Did you notice the Improve this post link just under the title? :-)

Simplicity

Plain markdown files, this is it. Easy to edit, easy to read.

Separation of concern

Focus on the right thing at the right time without noise. Using a platform such as Jekyll you can focus on the templates or on the content side of things without being required to mix them up.

Availability and performance

It is free, it will be made highly available by GitHub itself, it will be fast because there is no computation required, everything is ready to be served as a static content, easy to be cached by web proxies.

.m