If you consider the constraints on how it can evolve and the alternatives that has been attempted, I think web languages turned out pretty well.
Ask HN: What are your unpopular opinions about programming?
11–20 of 50 posts
Re: Ask HN: What are your unpopular opinions about programming?
#12- 90% of abstraction is dreadful. That means _your_ particular abstraction is almost certainly bad, and we don't want to learn it. - There is a lack of respect for the history of programming. IMO it has caused the industry to be stuck in a perpetual cycle of half-baked rediscovery. - Similarly, a type of "FAANG-syndrome" exists and allows sub-par ideas to take over mind share of the industry. Once a technology picks…
- Dynamic languages are good, actually. IDE auto-completion and full-project renaming are the features that hit above their weight when using static type systems. IMO the remaining benefits of static types are within the same order of usefulness as the pros and cons of dynamic langs; You can argue about them on a case by case basis. This means static types aren't inherently better than dynamic languages (which is the popular opinion of the day), there's just a tooling issue right now. Therefore, dynamic langs will eventually make a comeback in popularity.
Re: Ask HN: What are your unpopular opinions about programming?
#13* State management is one of the most simple problems to solve in any application.
* WebSockets are superior to all revisions of HTTP except that HTTP is sessionless. Typically when developers argue against WebSockets it’s because they cannot program.
* Your software isn’t fast. Not ever, unless you have numbers for comparison.
* Things like jquery, React, Spring, Rails, and so forth do not exist to create superior software. They exist to help businesses hire unqualified developers.
* If you want to be a 10x developer just don’t repeat the mistakes other people commonly repeat. Programming mastery is not required and follows from your 10x solutions.
* I find it dreadfully hypocritical that people complain about AI in the interview process and simultaneously dismiss the idea of requiring licensing for professional software practice.
Re: Ask HN: What are your unpopular opinions about programming?
#14Our job is programming. I regularly see opinions that "90% of our job is not programming" and I don’t relate. Sure, our job is not just programming, but honestly if you don’t spend at least 50% of your work time programming, there’s something seriously wrong in your organization.
Re: Ask HN: What are your unpopular opinions about programming?
#15Our job is programming. I regularly see opinions that "90% of our job is not programming" and I don’t relate. Sure, our job is not just programming, but honestly if you don’t spend at least 50% of your work time programming, there’s something seriously wrong in your organization.
What is "our" job in this context? For example, when I was a junior over 50% of my work was literal programming, but as I get more senior I program less and less.
From my perspective "our" job is to deliver solutions to specific problems our end-users have. How people accomplish that varies a lot by their position/seniority.
To get into the weeds: When I first stared worst case scenario, I could waste my own time with poor or overengineered solutions. Now I can waste half a dozen programmer's time by not doing enough due-diligence and or planning.
Re: Ask HN: What are your unpopular opinions about programming?
#16The more tools between raw code and a running solution, the more fragile it is.
This issue is particularly prevalent in the Javascript world, where it isn't uncommon that when you hit build/run, half a dozen process need to occur. This is partly why I wish they'd just put native TypeScript in the browser, simplify the build pipeline by removing several steps (and, yes, TS would evolve slower/more conservatively which I also consider a positive).
WebAssembly is the apex of this issue. Super fragile to build and impossible to debug. It is what I call "prayer based development," because you "pray" it works or troubleshooting becomes a nightmare.
Re: Ask HN: What are your unpopular opinions about programming?
#17- Diversity doesn't really make your tech team better or worse. Prioritizing for diversity when you're hiring makes your team worse.
- Cache invalidation is relatively easy; it's choosing the right strategy that is hard.
- You hate SPAs because you conflate them with running javascript, and you hate running javascript because you conflate it with predatory advertising strategies. You should hate predatory advertising strategies.
- IP clauses in job contracts contribute to the formation of monopolies and monocultures; they should be collectively fought harder than they are.
- Teaching juniors should be < 10% of a developer's job. If you want an instructor, hire an instructor.
Re: Ask HN: What are your unpopular opinions about programming?
#18JavaScript is excellent.
Re: Ask HN: What are your unpopular opinions about programming?
#19- 90% of abstraction is dreadful. That means _your_ particular abstraction is almost certainly bad, and we don't want to learn it. - There is a lack of respect for the history of programming. IMO it has caused the industry to be stuck in a perpetual cycle of half-baked rediscovery. - Similarly, a type of "FAANG-syndrome" exists and allows sub-par ideas to take over mind share of the industry. Once a technology picks…
- Dynamic languages are good, actually. IDE auto-completion and full-project renaming are the features that hit above their weight when using static type systems. IMO the remaining benefits of static types are within the same order of usefulness as the pros and cons of dynamic langs; You can argue about them on a case by case basis. This means static types aren't inherently better than dynamic languages (which is the…
How do you enforce input and output compatibility across modular functions and projects without strong types? Is there a better standard way to specify the accepted input shape and expected output options?
Re: Ask HN: What are your unpopular opinions about programming?
#20Our job is programming. I regularly see opinions that "90% of our job is not programming" and I don’t relate. Sure, our job is not just programming, but honestly if you don’t spend at least 50% of your work time programming, there’s something seriously wrong in your organization.
It really depends on your role. I still think our job is ultimately to solve problems for users and/or other stakeholders, and that coding is just one of the tools we use.
But it's not always the best tool. Even as an IC, I've done far more with emails and meetings than just writing code without thinking, whether that's discussing UX implementation details with the designer or pushing back on some half-baked over-engineered solution from management or fighting some evil advertising and tracking scheme from marketing. We don't just write code but also gatekeep it with some level of professional judgment and ethical discretion. (Or at least should.)
I think the orgs that don't give you any autonomy or agency beyond "code monkey" are the more problematic ones. Not only will you burn out having to repeatedly implement things you have no input into, you'll also be the easiest to replace if all you do is code.