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

@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.

@brianleroux I do not think everybody is using React because Guillermo is just really, really persuasive.
@seldo I didn't say that did I?!
@brianleroux I just don't think any grifting is involved. People are choosing what works for them.
@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.
@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.
@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.
@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.

@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.

@brianleroux @seldo yeah, I'm with Laurie on this. It's not just new devs, and not just people lacking information.
For example, I have been making websites and using JavaScript as long as anyone. I have written brutal hacks jquery was too heavy for msie users on dialup. And I usually choose react for all new web projects, because my time is more valuable than the users lost, especially at the start when a project just needs to be proven out by some usage asap.
@brianleroux @seldo imo too often this is framed as a binary "react vs no frameworks", when really there ARE ways to use react more responsibly in the middle ground, which we as a community need to be advocating for more. A remix site carefully built using progressive enhancement is only slightly more/different work than a typical SPA approach, and fairly easy to transition to from a more bloated browser-only approach. That needs to be taught in bootcamps etc. imo
@isaacs @seldo yeah I'm hopefully obviously a big believer in frameworks. And was an early supporter of remix. Super agree bad stuff being taught and that it needs improvement.