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Demand for HTML5 Skills On the Rise, Report Says

13 points by abrudtkuhl 16y ago

asnyder 16y ago
Yes, just like AJAX. The demand for skills in what's currently a vague buzzword increases. To me this only demonstrates how misunderstood HTML5 is, as many of the features that fall under the HTML5 umbrella have been in use for years. I'm still waiting for the cover of Time to be HTML5, just like it was for AJAX back when. At that point we'll know it truly reached its buzzword potential. Note: I'm not saying that AJAX or HTML5 is vague to technically proficient audiences, but rather, the use of terms outside of that audience is/was. It'll be interesting considering all the incorrect context AJAX was used in, especially since it's much more limited in scope than HTML5.
- cheald 16y ago
  Exactly this. HTML5 is mostly just a collection of standards designed to formalize optimizations and techniques that people have been kludging around for a long while. There are exceptions, but it's not a magical new technology that's going to revolutionize the web and make me breakfast in the morning. That said, developers would do well to stay on top of emerging technologies, both for technical and resume-related reasons.
gr366 16y ago
It would be useful to identify the primary driver for this increase in demand for HTML5. Is it iPad/iPhone compatibility? Buzzword compliance? How many clients understand what they're getting when they hire someone with this skillset? And have we defined what the HTML5 skillset really entails? Can I say I am an HTML5 developer because I know to change the DOCTYPE and wrap items in <header>, <section> and <article> tags? Or should the expectation be the ability to produce Flash-like entertainment-oriented sites with audio, video & canvas animation, or web apps that make use of local storage and offline capabilities? It's a pretty wide range of skills.
- shakes 16y ago
  My gut feeling is a lot of it is buzzword compliance. More and more I'm finding clients who believe that their site isn't going to work on iPad/iPhone unless it's HTML5. Even when we bring up their site on our iPad and show them that it looks great they still say "but I need it to be in HTML5!!!".
- code_duck 16y ago
  Yes, you can say you're an expert in DHTML - no, wait Ajax - Oh, I mean Web 2.0, sorry. Oops! HTML 5, of course.
- abrudtkuhl 16y ago
  It's a little of both I'd say... You'd say you are an HTML5 developer in the same way you'd say you are an XHTML developer. In the end it will get lumped into the same category that AJAX, DHTML, etc have been -> web developer.
neovive 16y ago
Here are some buzzword searches from Monster.com (standard search, US nationwide): "Web 2.0": 893 results "HTML5": 91 results "CSS3": 28 results "AJAX": 2,015 results
moonhorse 16y ago
Most web developers can adapt to "HTML5" rather quickly. It looks more like .NET3.0 VS .NET2.0. Recruiters may not be able to fully understand the difference and would think that "HTML5" represents something completely new.
emehrkay 16y ago
I need to add that to my resumé "good with HTML5"
- benologist 16y ago
  HTML5 ninja!
- abrudtkuhl 16y ago
  HTML5 Guru!
- patrickaljord 16y ago
  HTML5 rock star!
- cheald 16y ago
  HTML5 porn star!
coliveira 16y ago
But of course, you need to have 5 years of experience.

13 points by abrudtkuhl 16y ago

Yes, just like AJAX. The demand for skills in what's currently a vague buzzword increases. To me this only demonstrates how misunderstood HTML5 is, as many of the features that fall under the HTML5 umbrella have been in use for years. I'm still waiting for the cover of Time to be HTML5, just like it was for AJAX back when. At that point we'll know it truly reached its buzzword potential. Note: I'm not saying that AJAX or HTML5 is vague to technically proficient audiences, but rather, the use of terms outside of that audience is/was. It'll be interesting considering all the incorrect context AJAX was used in, especially since it's much more limited in scope than HTML5.

cheald 16y ago
Exactly this. HTML5 is mostly just a collection of standards designed to formalize optimizations and techniques that people have been kludging around for a long while. There are exceptions, but it's not a magical new technology that's going to revolutionize the web and make me breakfast in the morning. That said, developers would do well to stay on top of emerging technologies, both for technical and resume-related reasons.

gr366 16y ago

It would be useful to identify the primary driver for this increase in demand for HTML5. Is it iPad/iPhone compatibility? Buzzword compliance? How many clients understand what they're getting when they hire someone with this skillset? And have we defined what the HTML5 skillset really entails? Can I say I am an HTML5 developer because I know to change the DOCTYPE and wrap items in <header>, <section> and <article> tags? Or should the expectation be the ability to produce Flash-like entertainment-oriented sites with audio, video & canvas animation, or web apps that make use of local storage and offline capabilities? It's a pretty wide range of skills.

shakes 16y ago
My gut feeling is a lot of it is buzzword compliance. More and more I'm finding clients who believe that their site isn't going to work on iPad/iPhone unless it's HTML5. Even when we bring up their site on our iPad and show them that it looks great they still say "but I need it to be in HTML5!!!".
code_duck 16y ago
Yes, you can say you're an expert in DHTML - no, wait Ajax - Oh, I mean Web 2.0, sorry. Oops! HTML 5, of course.
abrudtkuhl 16y ago
It's a little of both I'd say... You'd say you are an HTML5 developer in the same way you'd say you are an XHTML developer. In the end it will get lumped into the same category that AJAX, DHTML, etc have been -> web developer.

neovive 16y ago

Here are some buzzword searches from Monster.com (standard search, US nationwide): "Web 2.0": 893 results "HTML5": 91 results "CSS3": 28 results "AJAX": 2,015 results

moonhorse 16y ago

Most web developers can adapt to "HTML5" rather quickly. It looks more like .NET3.0 VS .NET2.0. Recruiters may not be able to fully understand the difference and would think that "HTML5" represents something completely new.

emehrkay 16y ago

I need to add that to my resumé "good with HTML5"

benologist 16y ago
HTML5 ninja!
abrudtkuhl 16y ago
HTML5 Guru!
patrickaljord 16y ago
HTML5 rock star!
cheald 16y ago
HTML5 porn star!

coliveira 16y ago

But of course, you need to have 5 years of experience.