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AWS Boilerplate

github.com

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Re: AWS Boilerplate

#11

Post by toyg »

rglover wrote: post #9
nautilus12 wrote: post #3

Anyone else feel like AWS's primary goal isn't actually to make money but to put us all out of a job, but it doesn't quite know how to do so

Not quite put people out of a job as much as have absolute control over their entire product. They're using the convenience and low cost business model to hoover up developers (who are taking the bait) while not realizing that they're becoming wholly dependent on Amazon. Not just technically, but in terms of their mental model on how to build and deploy applications. Over time, "just use AWS" becomes the defacto "how…

Arguably what VB did to C/C++ developers ;)

Re: AWS Boilerplate

#12

Post by pziemkowski »

ErikAugust wrote: post #10

This could explain some of the “details” better. “Backend” is a Django application - but not mentioned in the README, for example. Also, what AWS services are being utilized? The Serverless stuff deploys to Lambda... that can be inferred, but the rest of it?

The documentation is a work in progress. It will be in a much better state until Friday

Re: AWS Boilerplate

#13

Post by pc86 »

toyg wrote: post #11
rglover wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not quite put people out of a job as much as have absolute control over their entire product. They're using the convenience and low cost business model to hoover up developers (who are taking the bait) while not realizing that they're becoming wholly dependent on Amazon. Not just technically, but in terms of their mental model on how to build and deploy applications. Over time, "just use AWS" becomes the defacto "how…

Arguably what VB did to C/C++ developers ;)

Ah yes that ubiquitous Visual Basic.

Re: AWS Boilerplate

#14

Post by time0ut »

ErikAugust wrote: post #10

This could explain some of the “details” better. “Backend” is a Django application - but not mentioned in the README, for example. Also, what AWS services are being utilized? The Serverless stuff deploys to Lambda... that can be inferred, but the rest of it?

Additionally, it would be nice to see more details around security and operations.

What ports are opened? What roles are created? Is all traffic encrypted in transit? Is all data encrypted at rest? Etc. I could dig through the configs, but just a high level overview would be nice. Bonus points for a detailed threat model.

Operationally, how do I monitor this thing? How do I scale it? How is patching handles?

Just some constructive thoughts on areas that could be improved.

Re: AWS Boilerplate

#15

Post by pziemkowski »

time0ut wrote: post #14
ErikAugust wrote: post #10

This could explain some of the “details” better. “Backend” is a Django application - but not mentioned in the README, for example. Also, what AWS services are being utilized? The Serverless stuff deploys to Lambda... that can be inferred, but the rest of it?

Additionally, it would be nice to see more details around security and operations. What ports are opened? What roles are created? Is all traffic encrypted in transit? Is all data encrypted at rest? Etc. I could dig through the configs, but just a high level overview would be nice. Bonus points for a detailed threat model. Operationally, how do I monitor this thing? How do I scale it? How is patching handles? Just som…

Those are all great points. Thank you!

Re: AWS Boilerplate

#16

Post by williamdclt »

I used to work at a web agency, and my biggest impactful was without a doubt setting up something similar. Instead of starting from scratch at each new project, or copying config from another project, I wrote a "project generator" that asked you a few questions (Django or symfony? React or vue? NextJS? Terraform?) then generated a fully-configured project for you, including a staging and a production environment.

It's incredible how much time is lost on config: AWS is a big one, but having to configure Django, Black, Flake8, Webpack, ESLint, prettier, Typescript, Sentry, react-router... It easily takes days, and copying from other projects meant we were propagating some less-than-ideal setup.

Automating setting up a React-native app was clearly the most challenging, I don't work there anymore but I don't think it's a smooth process even now

Re: AWS Boilerplate

#17

Post by joana035 »

rglover wrote: post #9
nautilus12 wrote: post #3

Anyone else feel like AWS's primary goal isn't actually to make money but to put us all out of a job, but it doesn't quite know how to do so

Not quite put people out of a job as much as have absolute control over their entire product. They're using the convenience and low cost business model to hoover up developers (who are taking the bait) while not realizing that they're becoming wholly dependent on Amazon. Not just technically, but in terms of their mental model on how to build and deploy applications. Over time, "just use AWS" becomes the defacto "how…

Basically the outcome of the "I prefer to take the bait than to learn the simplicity of Linux" mentality.

Nowadays everything is 10-20x more complicated and expensive than it should be compared to 10 years ago.

Re: AWS Boilerplate

#18

Post by freehunter »

williamdclt wrote: post #16

I used to work at a web agency, and my biggest impactful was without a doubt setting up something similar. Instead of starting from scratch at each new project, or copying config from another project, I wrote a "project generator" that asked you a few questions (Django or symfony? React or vue? NextJS? Terraform?) then generated a fully-configured project for you, including a staging and a production environment. It'…

This is why I love opinionated frameworks, why I love hand-holding tutorials, why I love abstractions. I don’t like code. I don’t like writing it, I don’t like reading it, I don’t like thinking about it. A mechanic doesn’t love his crescent wrench, he loves working on engines. The wrench is just a tool. What I enjoy is the final product and seeing a project come together as time goes on.

“The right tool for the job” doesn’t matter for most regular CRUD boring programming work. Django vs Rails vs a huge bundle of JS libraries cobbled together at random... for most programming work it doesn’t matter. So why not pick the one that lets you get your job done the quickest and easiest?

I get nothing (nothing but added stress) from trying new frameworks and new libraries and new packages constantly. I want to learn the right way to do something and then get down to business. My boss and my stakeholders don’t care what language or framework I’m using. The only consideration I need is “how quickly and easily can I get this done” and to be honest most of the time that’s Rails.

These days I’m using AWS Amplify which is an opinionated framework for AWS serverless apps and that’s all I really want... someone to make the “right” decisions for me so I can get my own work done. Because my job isn’t to pick languages and frameworks, it’s to produce a finished product.

Re: AWS Boilerplate

#20

Post by mrmonkeyman »

freehunter wrote: post #18
williamdclt wrote: post #16

I used to work at a web agency, and my biggest impactful was without a doubt setting up something similar. Instead of starting from scratch at each new project, or copying config from another project, I wrote a "project generator" that asked you a few questions (Django or symfony? React or vue? NextJS? Terraform?) then generated a fully-configured project for you, including a staging and a production environment. It'…

This is why I love opinionated frameworks, why I love hand-holding tutorials, why I love abstractions. I don’t like code. I don’t like writing it, I don’t like reading it, I don’t like thinking about it. A mechanic doesn’t love his crescent wrench, he loves working on engines. The wrench is just a tool. What I enjoy is the final product and seeing a project come together as time goes on. “The right tool for the job”…

If you don't like code you don't become a developer.

If you hate wrenches you're going to have a .. difficult time being a mechanic.

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