Mastodawn

The first reviews of my new book on software performance engineering are coming in:

⭐ "A manifesto against enshittification."
⭐ "The most principled engineering book I've read in a long time."
⭐ "The best chapters in this book are worth a whole book."

And it's now 50% off with code “MLOdell” until 26 March: https://hubs.la/Q044cvlc0

#performance #webperf

Performance Engineering in Practice - Den Odell

You can prevent most software performance problems if you recognize their predictable patterns. Performance Engineering in Practice introduces author Den Odell’s Fast by Default model that replaces the slow fix-it-later path with a unique framework to build in performance from the start. Den Odell’s System Paths framework provides a universal diagnostic language for performance that works across any platform or stack to keep your systems fast even as your codebase, team, and user base grow. You’ll work through hands-on examples like slow internal dashboards and cascading problems from a degraded API. Effective profiling tools, shared dashboards, CI budgets, and design reviews all ensure your performance goals are user-centered and your team is aligned and accountable.

Manning Publications

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Den Odell Feb 26

@ruurd hehe it’s all good. Color QuickDraw in the Macintosh II was quite ambitious and supported 16.7 million colors! It needed four times the ROM though, at 256KB!

I’m on a Mac all the time, but use Parallels when I need to get into Windows!

Den Odell Feb 26

I'm excited to share that my new book, Performance Engineering in Practice, is now available through Manning's Early Access Program! 🎉

For 25 years I've seen the same pattern: performance problems surface after users complain, teams panic, patch, and repeat. I call it the Performance Decay Cycle.

This book is the practical guide to breaking that cycle. First 5 chapters available now with 50% off at launch 🚀
https://hubs.la/Q044cvlc0

#PerformanceEngineering #SoftwarePerformance #FastByDefault

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Den Odell Feb 25

@ruurd Great points. And I didn't meant to denigrate today's developers, we're dealing with challenges that are different but by no means harder or easier than back then. Just for example, the first Mac OS was monochrome and had its screen built in- nowadays we need to support any type of display device in any configuration and in any color range.
Funnily enough my work machine is also maxed out and yet also runs slow sometimes, so hey ho! :)

Den Odell Feb 23

The first Mac OS fitted in a 64kB ROM. That hard limit didn't hold back innovation, it demanded it.

The engineers who worked within those limits knew their platform completely. We've lost some of that thinking, the knowledge of our foundations.

I wrote more here:
https://denodell.com/blog/constraints-and-the-lost-art-of-optimization?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=constraints_post

Constraints and the Lost Art of Optimization

How working within hard limits produced some of the most elegant software in history, and what we can learn from it.

Den Odell

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Den Odell Jan 14

@pablo_martan Thank you so much for taking the time to read the article! I’m glad you got something out the practical examples I added. I always like to offer something you can actually use in my posts. 🙏

Den Odell Jan 14

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be a respectful web engineer.

When someone visits a site, the browser gives us one main thread to run our JavaScript and respond to their interactions.

If our code runs too long, the browser stops listening to them. That’s what jank really is.

We’re only borrowing the main thread from the user. We should treat it with respect.

https://denodell.com/blog/the-main-thread-is-not-yours?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=main_thread_post

#WebPerformance #Frontend #JavaScript #UX #Accessibility

The Main Thread Is Not Yours

Every millisecond your JavaScript runs is a millisecond borrowed from your users. Here's how to be a better guest on the main thread.

Den Odell

Den Odell Dec 4

stoyan Dec 4

Web Performance Calendar day #4 when @denodell shows us how to adopt a fast-by-default mindset to escape the vicious cycle of ship-complain-panic-patch.

https://calendar.perfplanet.com/2025/fast-by-default/

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Den Odell Nov 6

@pablo_martan Oh totally. And frameworks aren't bad, they're really useful tools and abstractions that can make development easier. But when the whole thing gets institutionalised - when one capable frontend developer with deep Vue experience won't get hired because they're "not a React developer", things have gone too far. It's really useful to get an understanding of all the native web features, and how they work- even if you then choose to use a framework because of all the benefits it brings

Den Odell Nov 5

After a decade of React dominance, we've forgotten: frameworks run inside the web, not the other way around.

New post on breaking free from framework lock-in. Not by abandoning React, but by building platform-first apps that could outlast any framework.

Key ideas:
- Framework success creates institutional gravity
- Platform-first practices make apps framework-agnostic
- How to build apps that could survive any framework migration

https://denodell.com/blog/escape-velocity-break-free-from-framework-gravity?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=escape_velocity_post

#WebDev #React #Frontend #JavaScript

Escape Velocity: Break Free from Framework Gravity

After a decade of React dominance, it’s time to remember that frameworks run inside the web, not the other way around.

Den Odell