4 ms·

The scope of back-end development has grown considerably. In fact, it's precisely "one level of indirection" bigger: "commit is the new save", "push is the new

The scope of back-end development has grown considerably. In fact, it's precisely "one level of indirection" bigger: "commit is the new save", "push is the new commit", and "repo is the new module". Plus, "full-stack development" now includes containers and orchestration! Which is, of course, insane: distributed systems are, in general, not well understood. Expecting people to understand front-end, back-end, and then just tacking on an academically challenging area is beyond foolish. I strongly believe that we're now at the limit of human cognitive ability (as evidenced by the tight, and tightening, employment market) and we human programmers are painting ourselves into a complexity corner and we will weep when our employers happily hire the only minds capable of dealing with mechanical complexity, artificial ones.

pluc 4y ago
I have never met a full-stack developer that is comfortable with the full stack. I am also pretty sure full-stack was coined by recruiters and marketing folks to create a technical middle class.
- javajosh 4y ago
  Hmm. Yes. https://dev.to/cubiclebuddha/i-m-sorry-but-this-full-stack-meme-makes-me-really-mad-sad-35hi https://dev.to/cubiclebuddha/i-m-sorry-but-this-full-stack-m...
- chinabot 4y ago
  I dont even have a clue what a full-stack even means these days, its just a resume wank-word somewhere between "cloud" and "framework"
  - hnrodey 4y ago
    "Full stack developer" is supposed to mean someone who will just figure shit out irrespective of where the bug/enhancement resides. I say this, half tongue-in-cheek.
  - jacquesm 4y ago
    It means that you're supposed to be equally comfortable with VLSI design as you are with Photoshop and everything in between.
- gardenhedge 4y ago
  Really? In how many years experience? I've met many full stack devs who are comfortable from DB (db design and stored procedures, sql) - backend code (java, spring framework) backend services (consuming first party and third party APIs) - frontend code (javascript, typescript, jquery, angular, react) - frontend services (Google analytics, GTM, etc. ) Edit: forgot to add in CI, CD, deployment platform skills, server less functions etc
  - pluc 4y ago
    The only time I met half competent full-stack devs was when the stack was limited to JavaScript on front and back ends along with API calls to serverless functions (eg Cognito) for "more complex" things. Never met one that could quit vim or design a database with anything other than varchars. That is not full-stack, that is knowing a syntax that happens to have ended at both ends of the stack.
sohnakukkar 4y ago
Is the employment market really tight?

pluc 4y ago

I have never met a full-stack developer that is comfortable with the full stack. I am also pretty sure full-stack was coined by recruiters and marketing folks to create a technical middle class.

javajosh 4y ago
Hmm. Yes. https://dev.to/cubiclebuddha/i-m-sorry-but-this-full-stack-meme-makes-me-really-mad-sad-35hi https://dev.to/cubiclebuddha/i-m-sorry-but-this-full-stack-m...
chinabot 4y ago
I dont even have a clue what a full-stack even means these days, its just a resume wank-word somewhere between "cloud" and "framework"
- hnrodey 4y ago
  "Full stack developer" is supposed to mean someone who will just figure shit out irrespective of where the bug/enhancement resides. I say this, half tongue-in-cheek.
- jacquesm 4y ago
  It means that you're supposed to be equally comfortable with VLSI design as you are with Photoshop and everything in between.
gardenhedge 4y ago
Really? In how many years experience? I've met many full stack devs who are comfortable from DB (db design and stored procedures, sql) - backend code (java, spring framework) backend services (consuming first party and third party APIs) - frontend code (javascript, typescript, jquery, angular, react) - frontend services (Google analytics, GTM, etc. ) Edit: forgot to add in CI, CD, deployment platform skills, server less functions etc
- pluc 4y ago
  The only time I met half competent full-stack devs was when the stack was limited to JavaScript on front and back ends along with API calls to serverless functions (eg Cognito) for "more complex" things. Never met one that could quit vim or design a database with anything other than varchars. That is not full-stack, that is knowing a syntax that happens to have ended at both ends of the stack.

sohnakukkar 4y ago

Is the employment market really tight?