Is it just me, or is this whole article a description of a full-stack web developer rather than a JS engineer?
Everyone wants a full stack dev these days… how many are there really?
Why It’s a Good Idea to Be a JavaScript Developer, and What it Takes to Be One
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Re: Why It’s a Good Idea to Be a JavaScript Developer, and What it Takes to Be One
#62Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you were a full stack JavaScript wizard AND you had solid design skills, you would be a unicorn with hooves made of diamond and a jet engine strapped on its ass.
Alas, my design skills stretch no further than the ability to vet designs created by others and giving decent suggestions. I think this makes me more of a pony with an ice cream cone duct taped to its forehead.
If that's honestly true, you're punching well above the majority of people who work in the industry, and you have a highly valuable skillset. Plus you come with free ice cream :)
Re: Why It’s a Good Idea to Be a JavaScript Developer, and What it Takes to Be One
#63Is it just me, or is this whole article a description of a full-stack web developer rather than a JS engineer?
Everyone wants a full stack dev these days… how many are there really?
I think it's a great thing to aspire to (I certainly do), but yeah, don't think you could claim to be there until you'd put in some serious years, there's just too much to know, too many languages with too many weird edge quirks.
Re: Why It’s a Good Idea to Be a JavaScript Developer, and What it Takes to Be One
#64One thing about being a JavaScript guy is that it's quite fragmented. For instance, this guy's hiring for a position that uses MooTools. In my experience, MooTools (while a great framework) isn't used very often. The framework you know and love, and the job you want don't always match up - especially if you're going to work on a product that's a few years old.
Re: Why It’s a Good Idea to Be a JavaScript Developer, and What it Takes to Be One
#65What if I am a JavaScript wizard who is also a backend wizard, and I know a lot about CSS/HTML and browser quirks, but I couldn't design my way out of a wet and ripped paper bag? Can I be awesome too? Or am I designated to the waste bin? Because that would suck. I don't like the waste bin. It smells funny.
If you were a full stack JavaScript wizard AND you had solid design skills, you would be a unicorn with hooves made of diamond and a jet engine strapped on its ass.
And... question. Why don't you teach newbies and then you hire them?
Re: Why It’s a Good Idea to Be a JavaScript Developer, and What it Takes to Be One
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
Haha! In seriousness, some tips that I find help: * Learn & use Bootstrap. A manager actually told me to use Bootstrap instead of a custom webapp design created by his in-house designer once. The defaults are fine for a surprisingly wide range of projects. * Learn some design basics, like the rule of thirds, typography and picking palettes from colour wheels. * Don't be afraid to copy other people's designs. Converse…
I can do all that, so what am I?
A desingeneer.
Re: Why It’s a Good Idea to Be a JavaScript Developer, and What it Takes to Be One
#67Is it just me, or is this whole article a description of a full-stack web developer rather than a JS engineer?
Everyone wants a full stack dev these days… how many are there really?
I'm one, but I've had 26 years of experience in programming and software development to learn the stacks. At the company I work for arguably 4 of the 8 developers are full stack developers, so we can't be that rare.
One thing that I'm not seeing here is the long view. Sure, learn JavaScript, but recognize that due to its sub-standard nature it will be a transitional technology until a better run-time for web apps than web browsers comes along. JavaScript's popularity now is akin to the massive success of Visual Basic were a large number of adequately skilled programmers could crank out the needed business applications. JavasScript allows for much the same, and there's nothing wrong with that, it's just not something that will last into the future. So instead of learning JavaScript, learn how to program, how to develop software, and how to keep your fire alive so you want to learn the new stuff that will eventually replace what you're using now.
I sure as heck don't want to go back to Visual Basic, and I look forward to the day we don't have the HTML/CSS/JavaScript morass to build our software on.
Re: Why It’s a Good Idea to Be a JavaScript Developer, and What it Takes to Be One
#68Did I misunderstand something, or does this article just list all the reasons it's a bad idea to be a JavaScript developer? (apart from the 99 reasons that is JavaScript itself) basically: you use a language that is the envy of noone, to work with things like web browsers, the DOM and CSS. Anyone would want good money to do that...
My thoughts exactly. I love to learn new things, but they have to be interesting. As a C#/Unity3d game developer, most books and articles I've read lately for work been about data structures, algorithms, high-level OOP and functional programming concepts. May be it's my personal taste, but quirks of IE developer's code and implementation details of CSS sound like a lot more boring things to learn.
Re: Why It’s a Good Idea to Be a JavaScript Developer, and What it Takes to Be One
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
Everyone wants a full stack dev these days… how many are there really?
I'm one, but I've had 26 years of experience in programming and software development to learn the stacks. At the company I work for arguably 4 of the 8 developers are full stack developers, so we can't be that rare. One thing that I'm not seeing here is the long view. Sure, learn JavaScript, but recognize that due to its sub-standard nature it will be a transitional technology until a better run-time for web apps tha…
In all fairness though, it's very easy to bash JS, but the anonymous functions etc., that are really core to the language are pretty powerful. I used to hate it a lot more than I do now, but one day I realized that apart from its more patchy areas (no strftime, what?), it actually covers off a lot of coding styles and patterns you need in order to get stuff done.
Re: Why It’s a Good Idea to Be a JavaScript Developer, and What it Takes to Be One
#70Earlier quoted context omitted.
The common denominator of all that is wrong with development today is the internet. Work on a library, thick client, compiler, or anything like that and you are fine, but work too close to any of the tiers in some kind of internet/web based application and your day is filled with misery. Hopefully this internet thing will just fade away soon and we can all go back to real development.
Web development is a complex ecosystem. As a front-end dev I don't get to control much: many types of devices and software might run my code or display my HTML. Catering to that is the nature of the environment, and that heterogeneity (of devices and software) is what makes the Internet great. I disagree that catering to that fills one's day with misery. In fact I think it's fun and I wouldn't enjoy working on a libr…
Well put.
Also, even for a front-end person, those don't have to be mutually exclusive options.
Case in point: this week I am working on both heterogeneous end user-facing UI stuff AND [relatively] controlled-environment node-based webdev tooling for our FE team. I enjoy both types of challenges and think its healthy not to get too pigeon-holed into one such context or the other.
/$.02