Reactjs, Vue, Angular ... when should they be used?

Summary

The speaker emphasizes the importance of simplicity in development, advising against over-engineering projects by adding unnecessary technologies. He shares personal experiences where using frameworks like Laravel and Flash introduced complexity without real benefit. The main message is to only adopt technologies when absolutely needed, as every layer of complexity can introduce bugs and slow down development. He also criticizes over-complicating DevOps and server management, advocating for keeping things simple to improve efficiency and avoid unnecessary complications.

Takeaways

• ⚡️ Use simple, fast technologies like HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap instead of over-complicating projects with newer, more complex tools unless absolutely necessary.
• 🔄 New developers often over-engineer projects by adding unnecessary technology, which adds complexity and potential future issues.
• 🚫 Don't use frameworks or libraries like Laravel or React just because they are popular—only use them if they solve a specific problem for your current project.
• 💡 In the past, overuse of technologies like Flash for flashy intro pages became redundant and added no real value, similar to how unnecessary technologies are often added today.
• ⏳ Building a project around future needs that may never materialize leads to wasted effort and more complicated maintenance.
• 🛠 Keep technology stacks simple to make future updates and maintenance easier, avoiding unnecessary complexity that slows down workflows.
• 📉 Avoid adding unnecessary frameworks and libraries since each one adds potential new bugs and problems to the codebase.
• 🔧 Developers shouldn't manage server configuration if it's not their expertise; using managed services or dedicated sysadmins is more efficient.
• 🚪 Complex or flashy features, like Flash intros, often get skipped by users, highlighting the need to prioritize simplicity and usefulness in web design.
• 🤖 Tools like Xamarin, which introduce additional layers of technology, can cause more issues and complexity, as seen in some mobile app development.

Q & A

Why does the speaker prefer using older technologies like PHP, Bootstrap, and CSS grid instead of newer frameworks like React or Vue?

The speaker prefers older technologies for speed and ease of development. They believe new engineers often overcomplicate projects by using the latest tools unnecessarily, which can introduce complexity and potential bugs.

What is a common mistake new engineers make, according to the speaker?

New engineers often over-engineer by adding unnecessary technologies to a project, anticipating future needs that may never arise. This leads to added complexity and extra work.

What example does the speaker give to illustrate the problem of using unnecessary frameworks?

The speaker shares a story about building a simple static site with Laravel, which added complexity because they anticipated future needs that never materialized. This made simple updates more cumbersome than if they had just used plain HTML and CSS.

Why does the speaker emphasize not using technology unless it's absolutely necessary?

The speaker believes that each layer of technology introduces more complexity, potential bugs, and time costs. They stress simplicity to avoid creating unnecessary work and problems.

What historical example does the speaker provide to illustrate the problem of using technology just because it's available?

The speaker references the overuse of Flash intros in the 1990s. Despite their popularity, analytics showed that most users skipped these intros, proving they were unnecessary and added no real value.

What does the speaker say about mobile app development and the use of middle layers like Xamarin?

The speaker mentions that companies often use middle layers like Xamarin to avoid maintaining separate codebases for iOS and Android. However, this introduces more complexity and potential problems, as experienced by a company using Xamarin, which encountered many issues.

How does the speaker feel about developers managing server configurations?

The speaker believes that developers shouldn't have to manage server configurations, as it's not their primary skill set. Instead, system administrators should handle such tasks to avoid adding unnecessary complexity for developers.

What lesson does the speaker draw from their experience with Flash intros?

The lesson is to avoid using technology just because it's trendy. Like Flash intros, which were widely implemented but ultimately unnecessary, developers should focus on what adds real value rather than following trends.

How does the speaker's experience with Laravel for a static site highlight their main argument?

By using Laravel for a simple static site, the speaker added unnecessary complexity, making future updates harder. This example reinforces their main argument to avoid using complex frameworks unless absolutely necessary.

What is the speaker’s main advice to engineers regarding the use of technology?

The speaker advises engineers to keep their development process simple and only use technologies that are absolutely necessary for the project. Over-complicating the stack can lead to more time, bugs, and frustration.