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+
+# not using version control (or using it wrong)
+
+*(common gotcha)*
+
+## what happened
+
+you make a change that breaks everything. you can't undo it because you don't have version control, or you've been committing everything to main with messages like "fix" and "update" and "asdf." you can't find the last working version.
+
+## why it's a gotcha
+
+without version control, every change is permanent and irreversible. with bad version control, every change is technically reversible but practically impossible to find. both leave you stranded when something breaks, which it will.
+
+## the fix
+
+use git from the start of every project. commit often with descriptive messages. use branches for features. this isn't about best practices — it's about having a time machine for your code. the 30 seconds per commit saves you hours of "wait, what did i change?"
+
+## see also
+
+- [[hardcoding-secrets-in-code]] — git history remembers your secrets too
+- [[esp32-debugging-saga]] — version control lets you bisect bugs
+- [[it-works-on-my-machine]] — reproducible environments start with version control
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