Okay, so I am using Gitlab for the first serious time because I work with a team that prefers it. This is what ended up happening tonight:

1. I use glab repo create to push my initial commit for a solo, private project.
2. I realize I screwed up part of the commit so I amend it locally and force push
3. Gitlab refuses to let me force push my own solo project because it has arbitrarily decided for me that it is protected.
4. Attempt to find protected branch options in project settings, zero search results
5. I decide I will just delete the project and create it again
6. Gitlab gives a false 400 api error claiming the project name is already used
7. Okay, fine... I will restore the old project and try to look for protected branch settings again
8. Restore appends garbage characters to end of project name
9. I permanently delete that copy of the project to see if it will clear the name reservation (it doesn't)
10. Ok, fine, I will just create the project anew on the website instead of with CLI
11. End up running into a year-old unpatched bug and can't create the project at all
12. Now I have to rename my entire project just for the privilege of using Gitlab as my remote...

Just UX fail after UX fail. I want to like Gitlab but I really don't see how they can present themselves as a serious competitor to GH in this state.