Not really sure I understand what you're implying there
npm is not just their package management tool... the way most people use it, it depends on someone else's package registry/repository to deploy to your own servers.
And github is someone else's source code management tool/server.
As a matter of policy, if I can't have something on my own server (or one my org controls) I don't get to rely on it to deploy/run my application.
So I think I get the parent's comment... it's a really foreign situation, to me, to depend on the availability of stuff like this on servers I (or my org) don't control in order to deploy my application.
I'm sure the people who depend on these things look at me and say "Wait. You have to set up your own package repository and source control before you can deploy instead of using all this nice stuff that's available in the cloud? Seriously?"
"Wait, you're telling me these people need an internet-available Ubuntu mirror to install their development environments?"
"Wait, you're telling me these people need their users to have specific, updated browsers in order to run the deployed software?"
"Wait, you're telling me these people need their users to have a patched, up-to-date operating system in order to run your desktop app?"
"Wait, you're telling me these people just assume users won't switch off their computers before saving changes?"
"Wait, you're telling me these people depend on the power grid being available to deploy?"
"Wait, you're telling me these people assume their users have fast, low-latency internet connections to play their real-time multiplayer game?"
You get the idea.
Web stuff on the other hand can die in a fiery death, as far as i am concerned together with mobile stuff they are the source of everything wrong with the desktop today :-P.
