4 ms·

What makes this specific to JavaScript? It applies to all open source.

by choward 4y ago

skybrian 4y ago
Often it's for smaller values of "the entire world" though.
immigrantheart 4y ago
Almost everyone works in JavaScript.
- kwizzt 4y ago
  There’s a large world outside of JavaScript…
  - immigrantheart 4y ago
    There is no company in this world that can avoid JavaScript.
    - kwizzt 4y ago
      Company using JS != company don’t use other languages/tools. It’s pretty obvious that JS is only a small part of the programming/tech world.
      - Jatidude 4y ago
        JS is the most widely used programming language in existence.
    - _gabe_ 4y ago
      At the last company I worked at I only used C# + WPF (it was horrible). A couple jobs ago I only used R. There are companies with entire divisions that never have to touch javascript, and I'm certain there are companies that never use it. There's a very large world of programmers working for insurance/Healthcare/embedded/military/government that is nothing like modern web dev.
hn_throwaway_99 4y ago
The open source JS ecosystem, though, has soooooo many folks working on it that you can almost always find something you need. Certainly compared to something like Java, which has a couple "800 pound gorilla" projects, but then it falls off pretty quickly. Of course, this is very much a double edge sword, with all the "leftpad" type dependency nightmares and security issues, as well as the "Hot new JS framework of the month" issues. Still, I think the dependency issues are solvable and dependency tooling is getting better, and the frameworks issue has calmed down a bit such that it's easy to stick to a couple major projects (e.g. React, Express) if so desired, but more experimental, cool stuff is always out there.
- lenkite 4y ago
  "which has a couple "800 pound gorilla" projects, but then it falls off pretty quickly." Better to depend on numerous 800 pound long-lived gorilla's than a million short-lived mayflies that keep dying.
  - throwawaymaths 4y ago
    Well those gorillas are really hard to maintain. Suppose you found that it wasn't quite what you wanted. Would you poke your head into the Kafka codebase?
    - lenkite 4y ago
      Java Gorillas are far, far easier to maintain than JS mayflies. Static typing, top-notch refactoring tools, excellent IDE's with deep language analysis, stable ecosystems, minimal dependency chains, better performance, better profiling tools, trustable repositories with well-supported choices for self-hosting - the list goes on and on. PS: I have already poked my head into the Kafka codebase in the past. Not the best written project and also confusing because of the Scala mix, but far more readable than several I have seen. And Java makes it easily navigable. Can even auto-gen diagrams to grok it better.
  - hn_throwaway_99 4y ago
rebolek 4y ago
If you use some non-mainstream language it's quite the opposite. You're working for the entire world.

What makes this specific to JavaScript? It applies to all open source.

skybrian 4y ago

Often it's for smaller values of "the entire world" though.

immigrantheart 4y ago

Almost everyone works in JavaScript.

kwizzt 4y ago
There’s a large world outside of JavaScript…
- immigrantheart 4y ago
  There is no company in this world that can avoid JavaScript.
  - kwizzt 4y ago
    Company using JS != company don’t use other languages/tools. It’s pretty obvious that JS is only a small part of the programming/tech world.
    - Jatidude 4y ago
      JS is the most widely used programming language in existence.
  - _gabe_ 4y ago
    At the last company I worked at I only used C# + WPF (it was horrible). A couple jobs ago I only used R. There are companies with entire divisions that never have to touch javascript, and I'm certain there are companies that never use it. There's a very large world of programmers working for insurance/Healthcare/embedded/military/government that is nothing like modern web dev.

hn_throwaway_99 4y ago

The open source JS ecosystem, though, has soooooo many folks working on it that you can almost always find something you need. Certainly compared to something like Java, which has a couple "800 pound gorilla" projects, but then it falls off pretty quickly. Of course, this is very much a double edge sword, with all the "leftpad" type dependency nightmares and security issues, as well as the "Hot new JS framework of the month" issues. Still, I think the dependency issues are solvable and dependency tooling is getting better, and the frameworks issue has calmed down a bit such that it's easy to stick to a couple major projects (e.g. React, Express) if so desired, but more experimental, cool stuff is always out there.

lenkite 4y ago
"which has a couple "800 pound gorilla" projects, but then it falls off pretty quickly." Better to depend on numerous 800 pound long-lived gorilla's than a million short-lived mayflies that keep dying.
- throwawaymaths 4y ago
  Well those gorillas are really hard to maintain. Suppose you found that it wasn't quite what you wanted. Would you poke your head into the Kafka codebase?
  - lenkite 4y ago
    Java Gorillas are far, far easier to maintain than JS mayflies. Static typing, top-notch refactoring tools, excellent IDE's with deep language analysis, stable ecosystems, minimal dependency chains, better performance, better profiling tools, trustable repositories with well-supported choices for self-hosting - the list goes on and on. PS: I have already poked my head into the Kafka codebase in the past. Not the best written project and also confusing because of the Scala mix, but far more readable than several I have seen. And Java makes it easily navigable. Can even auto-gen diagrams to grok it better.
- hn_throwaway_99 4y ago

rebolek 4y ago

If you use some non-mainstream language it's quite the opposite. You're working for the entire world.