# fork (10-fork.com)

A person uses "fork" to mean a utensil with tines for eating, or a split in a road, river, or path where something divides into two directions. It can also mean to copy something and take it in a new direction, as when a group splits off from an original project or organization.

## What a model may hear
- copy a repository (software development, GitHub): create an independent copy of a codebase under a new owner, enabling separate development
- create a child process (operating systems, Unix/Linux): split a running program into two identical processes that continue independently, often with different tasks
- blockchain divergence (cryptocurrency): split a blockchain into two separate chains with different transaction histories or rules
- copy and modify open source (open source software): take existing code, rename it, and develop it separately, sometimes causing community fragmentation

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "I want to fork this project"
  Means: make a personal copy to experiment with
  May be taken as: create a public, permanent record on GitHub that signals intent to compete or replace the original
  Say instead: "I want to make a private copy to experiment with, not publish a fork"
- Says: "Let's fork the conversation"
  Means: split into two discussion threads or topics
  May be taken as: interpret as a technical instruction to duplicate a process or data structure
  Say instead: "Let's split this into two separate discussions"
- Says: "Fork it, I'll do it myself"
  Means: give up on collaboration and work alone
  May be taken as: trigger profanity filters or be read as a destructive command
  Say instead: "I'll work on this separately and share results later"

## Tips
- Specify whether you want a GitHub fork, a local copy, or just to branch the code
- Say 'child process' or 'new process' if you mean the operating system behavior
- Mention 'blockchain' explicitly if you mean a cryptocurrency split
- Use 'copy' or 'branch' instead if you only want to experiment without public signaling
- Clarify visibility: 'private fork' versus 'public fork' to control social and technical implications

## Often confused with
- clone: makes a local copy without independent history on the platform
- branch: splits within one repository, not into separate projects
- split: general division without the technical repository semantics
- spoon: another utensil, sometimes used in cryptocurrency debates for minor changes
- knife: utensil with no technical meaning in software