3 ms·

It was Mocha with CoffeeScript, not Ruby. It actually didn't come off "wrong to most people" - it was exactly 12 who left and didn't like it. Currently it's the

It was Mocha with CoffeeScript, not Ruby. It actually didn't come off "wrong to most people" - it was exactly 12 who left and didn't like it. Currently it's the second most watched video from the talk, and the organizers have told me it was in the top 5 in terms of interest and people's "choice". Ultimately, I'm sorry you didn't like it, but it's disingenuous for you to paint it as a failure.

sequoia 14y ago
"It was Mocha with CoffeeScript, not Ruby." But the point is that this wasn't clear. I thought it was neat to watch (I watched a few minutes, skipped thru) but I've used node before and write a lot of JS; if I were new to this (or if you had been, say writing Lisp or something I don't know from) it would have been very confusing. The tests thing in particular was confusing. Lesson: strings resolve to true (??). That said I think it is a great idea to do talks more like this; I've been to talks where people go on and on about the benefits and I'm thinking "where's the beef?" But a balance would be good: x% here's how you use node y%: here's WHY you use node. The latter was missing, and the former was missing if people go slowly or get stuck on the syntax or anything.
- robconery 14y ago
  Why does it need to be clear? That is the point - I'm challenging people to think, solve, see what's happening and digest the code - and yeah I know some people won't like it. In fact I want those people to hate it. I have a sore spot with the "entitlement crowd" who need everything wrapped up sweetly with a bow - the ones who sit on their laptops in the back of the room, geek out on Twitter, and then give your talk a low rating because it was "boring slides". Is it hard to figure out that it's CoffeeScript? I don't think so - specifically because I said that it was CoffeeScript in the beginning. You just had to read it :). And yes! Strings resolve to true :). Madness that people got to figure that out with some code, and not a bullet point slide! :)
  - executive 14y ago
    if the talk was intro to node, then why bring Mocha and CoffeeScript into it?
josteink 14y ago
Ultimately, I'm sorry you didn't like it, but it's disingenuous for you to paint it as a failure. Fair enough, but I just felt like painting another picture. If I were to offer two core criticisms of the session (as I experienced it), it would be 1. that it got sort of repetitive after a while. 2. It was a constant stream of information, a constant stream of how, without any context, or small breaks where you got explained what just happened or what we were about to do. Lots of how. No why. Without a "why", "how" will much more quickly turn "too much how". While these are just my 2 cents, I think there is some objective lessons to be learned at the bottom of this as well. Still. I'll give you credit for not being a cliché at the conference. You are always willing to try something new and for that I admire you.

sequoia 14y ago

"It was Mocha with CoffeeScript, not Ruby." But the point is that this wasn't clear. I thought it was neat to watch (I watched a few minutes, skipped thru) but I've used node before and write a lot of JS; if I were new to this (or if you had been, say writing Lisp or something I don't know from) it would have been very confusing. The tests thing in particular was confusing. Lesson: strings resolve to true (??). That said I think it is a great idea to do talks more like this; I've been to talks where people go on and on about the benefits and I'm thinking "where's the beef?" But a balance would be good: x% here's how you use node y%: here's WHY you use node. The latter was missing, and the former was missing if people go slowly or get stuck on the syntax or anything.

robconery 14y ago
Why does it need to be clear? That is the point - I'm challenging people to think, solve, see what's happening and digest the code - and yeah I know some people won't like it. In fact I want those people to hate it. I have a sore spot with the "entitlement crowd" who need everything wrapped up sweetly with a bow - the ones who sit on their laptops in the back of the room, geek out on Twitter, and then give your talk a low rating because it was "boring slides". Is it hard to figure out that it's CoffeeScript? I don't think so - specifically because I said that it was CoffeeScript in the beginning. You just had to read it :). And yes! Strings resolve to true :). Madness that people got to figure that out with some code, and not a bullet point slide! :)
- executive 14y ago
  if the talk was intro to node, then why bring Mocha and CoffeeScript into it?

josteink 14y ago

Ultimately, I'm sorry you didn't like it, but it's disingenuous for you to paint it as a failure. Fair enough, but I just felt like painting another picture. If I were to offer two core criticisms of the session (as I experienced it), it would be 1. that it got sort of repetitive after a while. 2. It was a constant stream of information, a constant stream of how, without any context, or small breaks where you got explained what just happened or what we were about to do. Lots of how. No why. Without a "why", "how" will much more quickly turn "too much how". While these are just my 2 cents, I think there is some objective lessons to be learned at the bottom of this as well. Still. I'll give you credit for not being a cliché at the conference. You are always willing to try something new and for that I admire you.