I don't see it as any different than the other disconnects between "what I want myself" and "what I get paid to do". It's not unlike other fields. A composer

I don't see it as any different than the other disconnects between "what I want myself" and "what I get paid to do". It's not unlike other fields. A composer who gets paid to write jingles for TV commercials won't listen only to TV commercial music. I once talked to an award-winning industrial designer at Fluke who admitted he couldn't care less about test and measurement, and didn't even know Ohm's Law. Michael Caine was paid $1M for "Jaws III", and says he's never watched it. As a user, I avoid JS-heavy web apps (I think even StackOverflow has way too much JS). As an employee, if my employer (when I have one) wants me to build that, then that's what they get. HN gets responses from people wearing both hats.