Git is currently the default choice for source control. We may take that for granted today, but it was not always a clear winner. Mercurial was a serious contender for the DVCS crown, but perhaps the fiercest competition came from the status quo.

Some of the arguments that I am hearing about Docker today remind me of the arguments against Git in 2010 while it was rocketing towards ubiquity.

Arguments like...

• "My team is already invested in tech x..."
• "I don't particularly want my source control to be distributed..."
• "But we hardly ever branch..."

The heart of these arguments is the same:

"It solves a problem that I don't have"

Fair enough. Git and Docker both have a significant learning curve and can be a costly switch. This is not a change you should take lightly.

But maaaaaaaybe...

There are clear benefits to both Git and Docker. Containers are safe, convenient, and consistent for developers and deployments. They eliminate certain classes of problems, and they lower the barrier to innovation. I don't think there is much argument over that. The disagreement is over the value of those benefits.

That is why I am reminded of Git...and Cloud vs. On-Prem...and Java vs. C++ before that.

Point is: Docker may not address your biggest concerns, but it might still be worth it.

What do you think?

Will Docker be requisite for programmers in the same way that Git is today?