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# Why Learn JS? JavaScript is the only language that lets you do every aspect of technology. This is misleading at best.

by lquist 6y ago

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
songzme 6y ago
I agree, I haven't had time to revisit it to improve the wording, will do it tonight. This is really what I meant: Our decision behind JavaScript: We want our students to understand technology at a conceptual level first, end to end: 1. Client side - Mobile, web, terminal 2. Server side - Database interactions, system design and optimization 3. Batch - ML models and scripting AFAIK, JavaScript is the only language that is able to cover everything end to end (front end to backend to scripting to even ML) so I'm able to come up with appropriate exercises for each of the moving parts. Afterwards, they should pickup domain specific language that optimizes for each task. I think it may be too overwhelming for students to learn different languages and learn the high level concepts at the same time. Unfortunately, there may be more instances of word choices. Each lesson is about 4-5k words (totaling 30k) and I simply don't have enough time to think critically on every word so feedback like these helps. Feel free to bring these up in the chatroom and help us improve our wording!
- cutemonster 6y ago
  > JavaScript is the only language that is able to cover everything end to end I also recommend js to ppl who want to learn to code, for the same reasons (I.e. both frontend and backend in js). + Writing browser games can motivate some students
- abraxas 6y ago
  I think you are right and I'm annoyed that you are. Because I think JavaScript is a really hard language to master. Ubiquitous yes, versatile yes but so full of cruft and bad design decisions that it really can put many people off programming.
  - enneff 6y ago
    And the ecosystem is a confusing, overwhelming mess.
    - hmwhy 6y ago
      I personally think it's only as overwhelming and confusing as one's predisposition to FOMO. I stopped worrying when I found out at meetups and interviews that it really doesn't work like that in most parts of the real world.
  - hmwhy 6y ago
    I highly recommend working through YDKJS[1] if you have an interest in and/or a reason to "master" JavaScript. I think you may find that some of those "bad design decisions" are actually not so bad, or at least manageable, once you will have read through the book. 1. https://github.com/getify/You-Dont-Know-JS https://github.com/getify/You-Dont-Know-JS
- orange8 6y ago
  Don't worry too much about the JS haters. JavaScript, a dynamically typed, flexible language is a great first language to learn programming with. As for the wording, all you need to add is the word platform: JavaScript is the only language that lets you build applications for any technology platform, including the web, desktop, mobile apps and terminals.
  - songzme 6y ago
    Thank you, I updated.
mhh__ 6y ago
And once you learn JavaScript, you can write JavaScript in any language you like!

# Why Learn JS? JavaScript is the only language that lets you do every aspect of technology. This is misleading at best.

by lquist 6y ago

# Why Learn JS? JavaScript is the only language that lets you do every aspect of technology. This is misleading at best.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

songzme 6y ago

I agree, I haven't had time to revisit it to improve the wording, will do it tonight. This is really what I meant: Our decision behind JavaScript: We want our students to understand technology at a conceptual level first, end to end: 1. Client side - Mobile, web, terminal 2. Server side - Database interactions, system design and optimization 3. Batch - ML models and scripting AFAIK, JavaScript is the only language that is able to cover everything end to end (front end to backend to scripting to even ML) so I'm able to come up with appropriate exercises for each of the moving parts. Afterwards, they should pickup domain specific language that optimizes for each task. I think it may be too overwhelming for students to learn different languages and learn the high level concepts at the same time. Unfortunately, there may be more instances of word choices. Each lesson is about 4-5k words (totaling 30k) and I simply don't have enough time to think critically on every word so feedback like these helps. Feel free to bring these up in the chatroom and help us improve our wording!

cutemonster 6y ago
> JavaScript is the only language that is able to cover everything end to end I also recommend js to ppl who want to learn to code, for the same reasons (I.e. both frontend and backend in js). + Writing browser games can motivate some students
abraxas 6y ago
I think you are right and I'm annoyed that you are. Because I think JavaScript is a really hard language to master. Ubiquitous yes, versatile yes but so full of cruft and bad design decisions that it really can put many people off programming.
- enneff 6y ago
  And the ecosystem is a confusing, overwhelming mess.
  - hmwhy 6y ago
    I personally think it's only as overwhelming and confusing as one's predisposition to FOMO. I stopped worrying when I found out at meetups and interviews that it really doesn't work like that in most parts of the real world.
- hmwhy 6y ago
  I highly recommend working through YDKJS[1] if you have an interest in and/or a reason to "master" JavaScript. I think you may find that some of those "bad design decisions" are actually not so bad, or at least manageable, once you will have read through the book. 1. https://github.com/getify/You-Dont-Know-JS https://github.com/getify/You-Dont-Know-JS
orange8 6y ago
Don't worry too much about the JS haters. JavaScript, a dynamically typed, flexible language is a great first language to learn programming with. As for the wording, all you need to add is the word platform: JavaScript is the only language that lets you build applications for any technology platform, including the web, desktop, mobile apps and terminals.
- songzme 6y ago
  Thank you, I updated.

mhh__ 6y ago

And once you learn JavaScript, you can write JavaScript in any language you like!