the.com/readme
the note nobody reads until everything is on fire.
means a plain-text file that explains what a project is, how to install it, and why you should care.
from traces to 1970s unix and mainframe culture, where developers left files literally named READ.ME so users would open documentation before running unfamiliar code.
case conventionoften all-caps to look urgent, README not readme
github effectauto-renders as the project homepage
badge culturebuild status shields turned readmes into resumes
first impressionmost contributors judge a repo by it alone