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> The problem is that GitHub makes this association even for unverified email addresses. In this case of course it really was Linus who made the first commit, but all it took was someone to add Linus's email address to their GitHub profile - without any verification - and now GitHub displays this person as the author instead.

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I can also write on my own web site that my email address is linus@linuxfoundation.org. But I can't send or receive messages from it, so how exactly would I be claiming it?

Does GitHub allow you to impersonate Linus via email? No, it does not.

I think you're fixated on the inverse of what this is. Imagine it's a true commit by Linus identified by his email address. This issue is when someone creates a GitHub profile with Linus' email address and by doing so, causes the GitHub UI to ascribe authorship of that commit to your user profile via your GitHub username and a link to your profile.

Also there's no need to imagine because that's what this is. A real commit with a correct email showing the wrong user.

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