Why I'm Learning Node

As for frameworks, it seems the http package comes builtin with a server and a url router. Also, Google's AppEngine supports Go.

I know exactly what you mean, because that's what I thought a year ago. I was going on and on about this to everyone. Mea culpa.

Then I actually tried node and learned the functional side of JavaScript (I don't mean the semantics, which are very simple; I mean powerful LISPish design patterns). Now I don't think about callbacks anymore, because I have a functional toolkit that mostly hides them.

You say asynchronous coding makes simple algorithms annoying to write. So let's have an example. Read two files -- in parallel -- trap I/O errors and warn about them, otherwise merge and sort the files by line, write the result to a third file, and warn about I/O errors there as well. Simple enough?

My solution is 8 lines, formatted. It was very pleasant to write.

  fork(
    ['lines.txt', 'lines2.txt'].map(function(name) {
      return fs.readFile.bind(fs, name);
    }),
    check(console.warn.bind(console), function(a) {
      fs.writeFile('linesOut.txt', a.sum().split('\n').sort().join('\n'), check(console.warn.bind(console)));
    })
  )

So it saddens me to hear people whining about this aspect of node -- partly because it recalls my own naivety, and partly because I know from experience that they're missing out on something great.

Begin with semantic HTML. It's really the basis. The best front-enders I know first write all the HTML for a project, and only then start adding CSS and JS. Learn why is wrong and isn't. Make sure you're HTML validates.

Now go to CSS. It's really easy to add some colours or fonts. You learn CSS as you go. But there is one hurdle here: the box model. Learn about float:left, position:absolute, display:block and how they entangle.

This will be harder than you think. You will need to learn some tools to debug this. Install Firebug and the Webdevelopers Toolbar in Firefox and see how you can fix your layout. Browsers aren't that scary.

We're only learning here, so skip IE for now. That one is actually kinda scary. Though if you really want to learn front-end, it's all about browser differences.

And then Javascript. Now it will be easy. Stick with jQuery and connect with your Node instance with socket.io. Learn Backbone if you want to make snappy web apps. There's a lot to learn in this 'grey field' between back-end and front-end. But at least you now know front-end.