
The Cool Front-End Developer - chavesn
http://www.mattzabriskie.com/blog/the-cool-front-end-developer
======
kbody
There is no need to always create an "opposite"-view post in response to other
"controversial" posts.

Can't wait for "The Pragmatic Front-End Developer" to pop-up in a few days.

Bottom line, we should focus on discussion that progresses our craft and not
superficial rivalries. Take for example the excellent Pure UI by rauchg [1]
(at the very least check the first footnote of the article, a true engineer in
mind)

[1]: [http://rauchg.com/2015/pure-ui](http://rauchg.com/2015/pure-ui)

~~~
hamburglar
I'm working on one called GOTO Considered Essential that's gonna blow
everyone's minds.

~~~
michaelochurch
I'm working on one called Full Stack Goto that's going to be downright
_exception_ al.

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chavesn
Yesterday, when _The Boring Front-end Developer_ was posted, the top
commentary[1] seemed generally critical of the change-averse attitude. The
TL;DR was "this is technology industry, new stuff is good. Get used to it."

Front-end code preprocessors, recent build systems and package managers, new-
age frameworks (Angular), "Universal JS", and SPAs would all fit into this
category.

Some tend to be skeptical, some are evangelists. There is a line in the sand,
and while most developers don't fall clearly on either side, taken in
aggregate, the line is visible.

I quite liked the BFED post. However, I submitted this because I think it
makes persuasive counter-points.

Given the negative tone yesterday, I thought the crowd here might be more
receptive to the more forward-thinking mindset. What's fascinating to me is
that, even with nearly directly opposing viewpoints, the commentary on _both_
HN discussion threads is actually quite critical.

[1]:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9879172](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9879172)

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TheBiv
Every time a popular opinion blog comes around that has an opposing opinion
come out, I always wonder if these archetypes do actually help to advance the
field they're talking about. Meaning, I do actually find it helpful to read
about how people are defining their value while performing their skill. Does
anyone else find these opposing opinions helpful or do you just see them as
wasteful drivel?

Granted, this is just a blog post, so the author isn't probably isn't actively
trying to craft a faction amongst front end developers.

~~~
lmm
I find it useful. Individuals are very bad at being balanced. Seeing two
opposed viewpoints and weighing them up for myself gives me a better basis for
making decisions.

~~~
chavesn
Indeed, some the most beneficial exchanges to observe are outright
arguments.[1] When no one disagrees, no idea is truly tested.

This reminds me of pg's "What you can't say" essay[2]. We may be able to
identify areas we are wrong by evaluating the topics on which we are most
unlikely to allow dissent.

[1]: [http://i.imgur.com/akfcNkJ.gif](http://i.imgur.com/akfcNkJ.gif)

[2]: [http://www.paulgraham.com/say.html](http://www.paulgraham.com/say.html)

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stuaxo
Somebody needs to concentrate on the boring stuff... in particular, making
sure all the stuff on npm etc actually works...

The few times I try and use "hipster stuff", like yeoman generators, they
don't really work out the box, and it feels like I could have spent that time
manually getting things working, also a lot of complexity is added.

In a similar way, the churn rate of JS libs is just absolutely insane.

From - a boring backend developer.

------
at-fates-hands
He forgot the part about jumping on every new JS library bandwagon when its
still in beta and impressing all his friends with a new framework nobody has
heard of.

~~~
sergiotapia
Your comment just reads as "I've been using MooTools since my pappy was alive!
It works so why change it."

If you want to stagnate and use the same tools, go for it. Other people will
continue to push the envelope and improve the day to day lives of thousands of
programmers everywhere.

If people were afraid to try new things, we wouldn't have things like Ember,
or React, or Meteor, or Mythril, or Rails. You don't have to try every single
thing that comes out, but at least be aware of them, and give them a cursory
30 minutes glance. You like programming, I assume? This should be fun, and it
is!

~~~
fineline
>> If people were afraid to try new things, we wouldn't have things like
Ember, or React, or Meteor, or Mythril, or Rails.

Or washing machines. Or cars. Or penicillin.

The anti-innovation mindset that pervades in this industry just baffles me.
Sure, don't rewrite the accounting system every time a new framework comes
out, but don't knock those forging the future either. (I know you weren't, I'm
adding to your reaction to the parent.)

~~~
dragonwriter
> The anti-innovation mindset that pervades in this industry just baffles me.

Developers in the industry are often in the business of selling their
experience with particular technologies. New technologies becoming popular
reduces the market value of that experience. The "anti-innovation" mindset --
and more specifically the public dismissal of new alternatives -- is often
simple self-interested marketing.

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serve_yay
One thing the "boring/cool" divide doesn't capture is that a certain amount of
the so-called cool kid shit involves an attempt to revive computing ideas that
are about 50 years old.

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ForHackernews
No one cares. You're not cool. Shave your beard.

~~~
AlOGW
I for one, find the lengths people go to seem unique incredibly hilarious, it
takes a special kind of person to call himself a lover of a programming
language.

~~~
devuo
For real.

------
kvcrawford
TIL I am cool. Finally!

