{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "description": "feat: generate fake GitHub commits dating back to 1970",
  "path": "/posts/impress-recruiters-with-one-simple-trick/",
  "publishedAt": "2025-07-31T00:00:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://read.ryancowl.es",
  "tags": [
    "Code"
  ],
  "textContent": "GitHub's contribution graph doesn't really tell you much about a developer. But it sure looks nice when it's green!\n\n  \n\nThe Plan\n\nGit lets you backdate commits using environment variables. So in theory, you could generate commits going back as far as you'd like. I settled on January 1, 1970 (Unix epoch time) as a starting point. Going back further felt like it might raise questions.\n\n  \n\nThe Setup\n\nCreate a new private repository on GitHub. Call it something boring like . Clone it locally:\n\nCreate an initial file so the repo isn't empty:\n\n  \n\nThe Script\n\nCreate a file called  (or whatever you'd like):\n\nThe  and  variables control how many commits are randomly generated per day. Adjust these to make the graph look more or less \"productive.\" Sundays are skipped, keeping you on a 996 schedule. \n\nA heads up: depending on your date range, this generates thousands of commits. You might want to set  to something more recent if you'd rather not wait.\n\n  \n\nRun It\n\nRefresh your GitHub profile and you'll see a solid wall of green going back over fifty years. Since the repo is private, nobody can see what you're actual commits so your secret is safe.",
  "title": "Impress Recruiters with One Simple Trick"
}