Laurie VossFeb 11, 2023
You're not stupid for using a framework, and nobody has pulled a fast one on you. https://seldo.com/posts/the_case_for_frameworks
The case for frameworks

Today I read Alex Russell's post The Market for Lemons and I found myself compelled to write a rebuttal. I am a big fan of Alex's work in general but not of this post in particular, which is very long, so allow me to attempt to summarize it

Show threadBrian LeRoux 💚Feb 11, 2023

@seldo economics indeed but the changing storyline is also well documented (yes that's grifting!)

And also ppl need to know how HTML/etc work in order to use React not the other way around.

Show threadLaurie VossFeb 11, 2023
@brianleroux I do not think everybody is using React because Guillermo is just really, really persuasive.
Show threadBrian LeRoux 💚Feb 11, 2023
@seldo I didn't say that did I?!
Show threadLaurie VossFeb 11, 2023
@brianleroux I just don't think any grifting is involved. People are choosing what works for them.
Show threadBrian LeRoux 💚Feb 11, 2023
@seldo well they're definitely being deliberately misleading to a large audience of less experienced devs (not just one individual either) and to me that's not professional behavior whether it works for them or not. Which, given the outcomes esp in performance and a11y: not working actually. Not an opinion these are all super well documented claims.
Show threadLaurie VossFeb 11, 2023
@brianleroux I just don't believe it. I don't think they're being deliberately misleading. I don't think devs, experienced or otherwise, are being misled. The outcomes in performance and accessibility are unfortunate by-products of capitalism and not because people are dumb.
Show threadBrian LeRoux 💚Feb 11, 2023
@seldo I don't think anyone is dumb given how long it's been going on they definitely are aware of the outcomes. Like nobody is using the Nintendo eStore or Home Depot or any of the other innumerable bad web experiences we all suffer daily thinking "wow this great professional work". They absolutely know the outputs are garbage and they sell it as otherwise usually justified by the lie it's necessary because it's popular.
Show threadLaurie VossFeb 11, 2023
@brianleroux Again, I simply do not believe any of that is true. The people who produce those web experiences are doing the best they can with the resources they have and are not justifying it because it's popular, they know it's the best they can do in the time they've been given to do it and the number of colleagues they have. I don't need to assume ill intent to explain what I'm seeing.
Show threadBrian LeRoux 💚Feb 11, 2023

@seldo I'm not blaming devs and agree ppl are doing the best they can w the information they've got. They are being mislead, again that's clearly documented, and it's way past time we stop excusing unprofessional outputs.

It's ok to expect better, and do better by web consumers and creators alike.

Show threadBrian RinaldiFeb 11, 2023

@brianleroux @seldo I understand your perspective and agree Alex's article can be read as aggressive (though I didn't take it as calling developers stupid).

However, I think you recognize and then undersell the impact of momentum/network effects. We trained/hired lots of new devs in the last decade and many only ever learned React. I've met folks who don't know how to build web sites without it or who used it on large projects where it was wholly unnecessary because they thought they had to.

Show threadLaurie Voss
@remotesynth @brianleroux The economics of the situation you're describing is: they don't have time to learn some other way. It's the same effect described differently.
Feb 11, 2023 at 6:35pmWeb