I think part of the problem you describe comes from confusing “skills” and “tools,” where tools can refer to languages, frameworks, APIs, etc. Employers may ha

I think part of the problem you describe comes from confusing “skills” and “tools,” where tools can refer to languages, frameworks, APIs, etc. Employers may have exacerbated the problem, but it seems to me that programmers have mostly done it to themselves. Ignore fundamental knowledge and focus on narrow expertise with a framework for long enough and you will feel obsolete. The original post concludes with mentioning React and Rails — tools, not skills. Understanding web development in terms of HTTP, HTMl, CSS, Javascript, server-side languages, relational databases, and so on describes “skills” to me. By analogy, I have learned the skills required to drive a car and ride a motorcycle. Those skills transfer to almost every car and motorcycle. I don’t call myself a BMW rider or Toyota driver, and then ignore all other brands. Why do programmers pigeonhole themselves and specialize so narrowly they constantly risk obsolescence? In any case I don’t see how Github contributes to the problem. No one has to follow every fad and fashion. The fundamentals of software development don’t change very fast, but new frills and coats of paint come out every day.