4 ms·

Nodejs is a toy.

30 points by athoune 14y ago

debacle 14y ago
> you write linear text wich is translated to async actions Stopped taking this seriously there. > Regularly, nodejs breaks its API. I saw the drama when 0.4 became 0.6 and now 0.8. 0.*? You mean a beta release broke backwards compatibility?!? Those assholes! > use real languages like Erlang, scala or even golang. You've got to be kidding me.
phpnode 14y ago
Linkbait title. Every piece of software starts at v0.0.1, clearly we are very early in the stage of node.js's life, I'd much rather they make these breaking changes now and get the design right rather than focusing exclusively on maintaining backwards compatibility. This is new software, of course things are going to change as it matures, of course some libraries are missing or incomplete, these things will change and most people who're actually using node in production KNOW that they are building on an immature platform and have made the technical decision that the risk of breaking changes is outweighed by the benefits of using it now.
columbo 14y ago
The gist of the article seems to suggest that you don't go all in with beta software. That advice applies to webservers, languages, operating systems, cellphones, tshirts and cars. Saying 'Nodejs is a toy' seems flamebaitish.
lukev 14y ago
Hm. I read the first couple paragraphs and was pretty convinced it was a parody of a breathless async fanboy. Sadly, it turns out he was serious.
- agentgt 14y ago
  Haha I thought the exact same thing. I thought it was going to be a parody. What a disappointing article.
Killswitch 14y ago
Technically it is a toy because of how new it is... But so was Python, Ruby, and any other popular language before it became version 1 and even higher.
- batista 14y ago
  Technically it's also a toy because it tries to do async without the right primitives built into the language. Hence the async spaghetti (the 2010's GOTO), and other limitations. It might prevail in a "worse is better" way, because of popularity, but technologically it should be replaced by a better language/framework combo.
novalis 14y ago
I actually am using node.js through the Noxe lib in Haxe and I don't see it like a toy at all. It works great to push initial files to mobile clients and setup clients in a fast way. Does a great job at it and I have seen much more complicated things being done with it. Having things shuffled once in a while on the API is to be expected when at such young age, everything is new and shiny and sometimes it doesn't live through a revision. Happens. I don't like the snark about proper languages on the article, it is the sort of troll bait that encourages memes like; node is for web dev js noobs, flash is for clueless devs, etc. Think a serious dev should show respect for whatever a good implementation is achieved in and not let own preference enforce bias, that just makes people look like fools.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
farmdawgnation 14y ago
So, you recommend not using a language that's less than a 1.0 because stuff breaks in new releases? Really? :| You can solve lots of real problems with Node, and I'd argue you should do that because even when the APIs break, if your code is well written you should be able to bring it in line fairly quickly by only updating the impacted modules. So, that's not a big deal. In re: libraries, if you're not willing to occasionally fork and upgrade other peopele's libraries, or better yet write your own, then perhaps the problem isn't Node. Not every Software Engineer is cut out to work on the bleeding edge. I would suggest that perhaps you're not one of those engineers, but that doesn't mean that I can't solve real problems with Node.js and love it. I know the title is flamebait, but I've seen that point of view from people who weren't trying to start a flame war, so I figured now was a good time to put in my two cents. :)
Yarnage 14y ago
How can anyone take this article seriously when the author calls Scala a real language? Haha
shubber 14y ago
My favorite assertion is "Javascript has the flattest learning curve of any language." I wonder if the author can explain prototypal inheritance, or function hoisting.

30 points by athoune 14y ago

> you write linear text wich is translated to async actions Stopped taking this seriously there. > Regularly, nodejs breaks its API. I saw the drama when 0.4 became 0.6 and now 0.8. 0.*? You mean a beta release broke backwards compatibility?!? Those assholes! > use real languages like Erlang, scala or even golang. You've got to be kidding me.

phpnode 14y ago

Linkbait title. Every piece of software starts at v0.0.1, clearly we are very early in the stage of node.js's life, I'd much rather they make these breaking changes now and get the design right rather than focusing exclusively on maintaining backwards compatibility. This is new software, of course things are going to change as it matures, of course some libraries are missing or incomplete, these things will change and most people who're actually using node in production KNOW that they are building on an immature platform and have made the technical decision that the risk of breaking changes is outweighed by the benefits of using it now.

columbo 14y ago

The gist of the article seems to suggest that you don't go all in with beta software. That advice applies to webservers, languages, operating systems, cellphones, tshirts and cars. Saying 'Nodejs is a toy' seems flamebaitish.

lukev 14y ago

Hm. I read the first couple paragraphs and was pretty convinced it was a parody of a breathless async fanboy. Sadly, it turns out he was serious.

agentgt 14y ago
Haha I thought the exact same thing. I thought it was going to be a parody. What a disappointing article.

Killswitch 14y ago

Technically it is a toy because of how new it is... But so was Python, Ruby, and any other popular language before it became version 1 and even higher.

batista 14y ago
Technically it's also a toy because it tries to do async without the right primitives built into the language. Hence the async spaghetti (the 2010's GOTO), and other limitations. It might prevail in a "worse is better" way, because of popularity, but technologically it should be replaced by a better language/framework combo.

novalis 14y ago

I actually am using node.js through the Noxe lib in Haxe and I don't see it like a toy at all. It works great to push initial files to mobile clients and setup clients in a fast way. Does a great job at it and I have seen much more complicated things being done with it. Having things shuffled once in a while on the API is to be expected when at such young age, everything is new and shiny and sometimes it doesn't live through a revision. Happens. I don't like the snark about proper languages on the article, it is the sort of troll bait that encourages memes like; node is for web dev js noobs, flash is for clueless devs, etc. Think a serious dev should show respect for whatever a good implementation is achieved in and not let own preference enforce bias, that just makes people look like fools.

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

farmdawgnation 14y ago

So, you recommend not using a language that's less than a 1.0 because stuff breaks in new releases? Really? :| You can solve lots of real problems with Node, and I'd argue you should do that because even when the APIs break, if your code is well written you should be able to bring it in line fairly quickly by only updating the impacted modules. So, that's not a big deal. In re: libraries, if you're not willing to occasionally fork and upgrade other peopele's libraries, or better yet write your own, then perhaps the problem isn't Node. Not every Software Engineer is cut out to work on the bleeding edge. I would suggest that perhaps you're not one of those engineers, but that doesn't mean that I can't solve real problems with Node.js and love it. I know the title is flamebait, but I've seen that point of view from people who weren't trying to start a flame war, so I figured now was a good time to put in my two cents. :)

Yarnage 14y ago

How can anyone take this article seriously when the author calls Scala a real language? Haha

shubber 14y ago

My favorite assertion is "Javascript has the flattest learning curve of any language." I wonder if the author can explain prototypal inheritance, or function hoisting.