That Time the Internet Broke

RE: The Plight of NPM, etc. I won’t pretend to be an expert on NPM, package managers or open source. But last week, something really interesting happened. And it brought into view two issues that have been swirling around in the ether: the dependency tangle that is the Node / Javascript community and the problems… Continue reading That Time the Internet Broke

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Categorized as JavaScript

Chose Your Metric

I went to Wordcamp Lancaster this year. It was a great time. I gave a talk on Javascript and after the conference, I was perseverating about one of my favorite things: what the f%c Javascript framework should I use. Rami Abraham (who organized the crap of out of WC Lancaster by the way) was quick to… Continue reading Chose Your Metric

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Categorized as JavaScript

First Steps with Javascript and WordPress

It starts with a simple maxim. Learn Javascript Deeply. That’s what Matt said. And it’s good advice. Javascript underpins everything we do, and it’s becoming more and more advanced every day. It’s not just the future of WordPress, it’s the future (and present) of the web. Of course, Matt mentioned this right around the time… Continue reading First Steps with Javascript and WordPress

The Magpie Developer

Jeff Atwood wrote this article seven years ago but it holds true:

These so-called thought leaders have left a virtual ghost town before anyone else had a chance to arrive.

I became a programmer because I love computers, and to love computers, you must love change. And I do. But I think the magpie developer sometimes loves change to the detriment of his own craft.

This seems as relevant as ever. As a developer in the Javascript world, it’s hard to keep up. Sometimes, I feel like I’ve done more “Hello World’s” then real projects. Small side projects help, but I’ve found the trick is to learn the basics of something, then log it in the back of your head (or write it down somewhere) for future use.

Side note, it’s disturbing how many links in this article are 404’ed these days. We need to all do something about that.

How to Make Text That Writes Itself in Javascript

I’ve launched a new version of this site, but one piece of functionality I carried over from the old one is a typewriter type effect using JavaScript. It’s actually pretty simple, and with about 60 lines of code and no dependencies, you can get it up and running.