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Don't take this the wrong way - I mean this with the most respect possible. You shouldn't be recommending software to anyone.

by NDizzle 11y ago

hoodoof 11y ago
I'm sorry you feel that way. I know a huge amount about software development and work with a wide range of technologies. Learning some completely new field like browser based development is best done by just jumping in and trying to make stuff work. You learn along the way and much of it will be unfamiliar. Over time things will become more and more familiar until you start to develop expertise across the entire field. If you are suggesting that instead I should learn by sitting down for six months in an ivory tower and learn all the theory and function of every part of the software ecosystem that I plan to work with so that I can then take every step of my journey as an expert, then you are misguided. All software developers live in a fog of ignorance which they work to push back. No one knows everything. The best way to push back the fog of igorance is to start working with the technology to get real stuff done. To do so, it is necessary to make pragmatic decisions such as "well it looks like everyone in this field is using technology X - so that's what I'll use until I know enough to decide otherwise". Are you someone with a deep knowledge of JS and react development? If yes, did you step in to it as an expert in all things? Did you use things without knowing why? Of course you did. Everyone has to.
- Bahamut 11y ago
  You admitted to being a beginner - a beginner shouldn't be recommending technology choices beyond that a particular choice might help people get started. There is too much a beginner does not know was his/her point.
  - skrebbel 11y ago
    > You admitted to being a beginner He said he was a front end JS beginner. He also mentioned being a seasoned software engineer overall. His advice is completely sound, and a very valid approach: Want to learn a new platform/ecosystem? Take whatever is the most popular and make stuff work. It's the fastest way to learn by far and with an free bonus you get actual valuable software. Nobody flames people who learn Rails while learning Ruby! What's the matter with you guys? The only mistake the GP made was "admit" on HN that he's a beginner at something.
- zodiac 11y ago
  I completely agree with your characterization of how beginners can feel. That said, > If you are suggesting that instead I should learn by sitting down for six months in an ivory tower and learn all the theory and function of every part of the software ecosystem It's not simply a choice between "learn for 6 months" and "use whatever the latest thing is". You seem to be advocating for the later, which I think is just as unworkable a solution as the former. For instance, a nice medium ground would be to read the github README as well as the front-page website of the candidates. Also, as someone else here pointed out, you can't kill off gulp/grunt even if webpack exists, because webpack is not a task runner, and some people use the task-runner features of gulp to do more than combine modules, etc.

Don't take this the wrong way - I mean this with the most respect possible. You shouldn't be recommending software to anyone.

by NDizzle 11y ago

Don't take this the wrong way - I mean this with the most respect possible. You shouldn't be recommending software to anyone.

hoodoof 11y ago

I'm sorry you feel that way. I know a huge amount about software development and work with a wide range of technologies. Learning some completely new field like browser based development is best done by just jumping in and trying to make stuff work. You learn along the way and much of it will be unfamiliar. Over time things will become more and more familiar until you start to develop expertise across the entire field. If you are suggesting that instead I should learn by sitting down for six months in an ivory tower and learn all the theory and function of every part of the software ecosystem that I plan to work with so that I can then take every step of my journey as an expert, then you are misguided. All software developers live in a fog of ignorance which they work to push back. No one knows everything. The best way to push back the fog of igorance is to start working with the technology to get real stuff done. To do so, it is necessary to make pragmatic decisions such as "well it looks like everyone in this field is using technology X - so that's what I'll use until I know enough to decide otherwise". Are you someone with a deep knowledge of JS and react development? If yes, did you step in to it as an expert in all things? Did you use things without knowing why? Of course you did. Everyone has to.

Bahamut 11y ago
You admitted to being a beginner - a beginner shouldn't be recommending technology choices beyond that a particular choice might help people get started. There is too much a beginner does not know was his/her point.
- skrebbel 11y ago
  > You admitted to being a beginner He said he was a front end JS beginner. He also mentioned being a seasoned software engineer overall. His advice is completely sound, and a very valid approach: Want to learn a new platform/ecosystem? Take whatever is the most popular and make stuff work. It's the fastest way to learn by far and with an free bonus you get actual valuable software. Nobody flames people who learn Rails while learning Ruby! What's the matter with you guys? The only mistake the GP made was "admit" on HN that he's a beginner at something.
zodiac 11y ago
I completely agree with your characterization of how beginners can feel. That said, > If you are suggesting that instead I should learn by sitting down for six months in an ivory tower and learn all the theory and function of every part of the software ecosystem It's not simply a choice between "learn for 6 months" and "use whatever the latest thing is". You seem to be advocating for the later, which I think is just as unworkable a solution as the former. For instance, a nice medium ground would be to read the github README as well as the front-page website of the candidates. Also, as someone else here pointed out, you can't kill off gulp/grunt even if webpack exists, because webpack is not a task runner, and some people use the task-runner features of gulp to do more than combine modules, etc.