On the other hand, Google uses a single branch ( http://www.infoq.com/presentations/Development-at-Google) with over 2,000 projects, in a single code trunk containing hundreds of millions of code lines, with more than 5,000 developers accessing the same repository.
At work (not Google) we have a master branch. For development I create a branch something like dmedinets/20130522/accumulo_2343/description_of_intent. The slashes provide a flat hierarchical namespace just for convenience. I include the date because I sometimes have several branches at once. I include the intent as well as the JIRA ticket in case I want to take more than one approach. When you first start working with Git, it pays to be cautious. Co-workers have lost work by using the wrong pattern of git commands. I will post the git commands that I use; which should not be considered authoritative, correct, or even a suggestion. 8:)
