Robb

Back when I was finding my feet in tech everybody was buzzing about building positive change. Somewhere along the way, something changed. Fortunately for us though, tech is not the first industry forced to defend itself against dubious practices.

What might we learn if we were to look elsewhere?

https://robbowen.digital/wrote-about/looking-elsewhere/

Looking elsewhere - Robb Owen

Against the backdrop of mass layoffs, LLMs, site-builders and vibe coding what does it mean to conscientiously build for the web, and where do we go from here?

Robb Owen Digital
Jun 3 at 7:04amWeb
Show threadFred RochaJun 3

Thank you @Robb for such a thoughtful post. I agree wholeheartedly with the arguments there, and it's refreshing to read them all laid out in such a mature and enlightened way.

https://front-end.social/@Robb/114618156886513987

Robb (@Robb@front-end.social)

Back when I was finding my feet in tech everybody was buzzing about building positive change. Somewhere along the way, something changed. Fortunately for us though, tech is not the first industry forced to defend itself against dubious practices. What might we learn if we were to look elsewhere? https://robbowen.digital/wrote-about/looking-elsewhere/

Front-End Social
Show threadRobbJun 3
@john_fisherman Thanks for reading, and the kind words. I really appreciate it!
Show threadFred RochaJun 3

@Robb <3

Love your actionable bullet points.

Can we get to it? :)

Show threadFred RochaJun 3

@Robb

(highlights by the reader, not the author.)

Show threadGinaJun 3
@Robb I didn't have time to read your post, but I did want to mention that I love the design of your website. ✨️
Show threadmb21Jun 4
@Gina @Robb Agreed, I have just one nit-pick: that loading spinner when the page loads :-/
Show threadChristopher Kirk-NielsenJun 3
@Robb What a lovely and thoughtful post, thank you so much for sharing this with us. As the kids say these days: big agree.
Show threadDams 🕑Jun 3
@Robb Really nice and important read!
Show threadmb21Jun 4
@Robb Lot of this resonates with me. Yet somehow I’m unwilling to let our craft be pushed in a niche of a niche, like haut-couture fashion was: almost nobody weats those cloths! Can we at least strive for beautifully designed, yet mass-manufactured and widely used products like Apple’s (whatever we may think of the rest of the company)?
Show threadFrank // MottokroshJun 4
@Robb Thoughtful article that resonates with me. Now, who wants to join a "created with care and standards" webring? :D (The name needs workshopping.)
Show threadSarah BrownJun 6

@Robb Thanks for this. I really resonate with the freedom and encouragement you put forward for people to learn outside of the box of their specialty, in a way that builds up the craft and thereby community.

In a world where a common goal seems to be safety through independence (not needing to rely on anything/one that isn’t replaceable), finding ways to make WORK an area of life where we build mutually beneficial networks that don’t cannibalize feels so important.

Show threadRobbJun 6
@another_sarah_brown Thanks so much for reading. I definitely spent the early part of my career trying to do too much on my own and I realise now that it never really felt safe. Knowing that I can support, and be supported by, others who are far better placed to do something than me is such a comfort
Show threadmushroom_manJun 7
@Robb I’m not in web design and yet this has resonated with me deeply. I see the same trends play out in the infosec GRC space with commodification of out-of-the-box compliance with information security standards by platforms that bequeath no understanding of the subject matter on their users. All for the sake of velocity. One could argue that from the executive perspective compliance has always been about box checking. And yet I think that by its very nature, compliance appeals to folks who care about doing things the right way, artisans in their own right.