Smack Talk: Calling Myself Out
So listen, I'm not perfect. I'm full of ego, I'm a bit stubborn, and some would call me opinionated. Well guess what? I've been wrong.
I've felt strongly about some web development topics and now, a few years later, I realize that I was dead wrong about a few things. So I'm calling myself out. Deal with it, Walsh.
"Browser-Specific APIs are Pointless"
My most ignorant moments were thinking that browser-specific APIs (CSS properties, JavaScript APIs, etc.) were pointless because their functionality were not available within other browsers and were thus unusable. Stupid. I now realize that the web would be nowhere without them. IE is just now, with version 9 near release, providing CSS animations that WebKit had years ago. And some of the great HTML5 enhancements that we've had for months? IE's just implementing those too. In working with the MooTools and Dojo teams over the past years, I've realized how useful these edge APIs are. Most of the time you can simply use JavaScript to create shims for browsers that don't implement specific APIs.
This has clearly been my largest point of ignorance. I'm sorry web development pioneers -- I wont be this dumb again.
"It's MooTools or Nothing At All"
I'm the biggest MooTools fanboy you'll find. I could go on for hours about how FTW MooTools is. Shockingly awesome API. Rock solid stable. Modular. Compact. If MooTools were a chick, I'd have married her years ago. Unfortunately, however, MooTools isn't the best fit for everything. Having worked with Dojo on a daily basis for six months now, I realize that Dojo's probably the best solution for UI-driven web applications because of the elegant themes and number of consistent widgets available. Dojo also has outstanding charting and vector graphic libraries available. So while MooTools is synonymous for "FTW," it's not always the best solution for every project.
"Macs are for Smug Hippies"
My impression of Mac users was always that they were arrogant, self-righteous, tree-hugging, Zima-drinking, bicycle-riding, vegan, no-deoderant-wearing hippies. It wasn't until last summer that I got my first Mac and within a hour of using it, I realized how wrong I was. The UI that I once labeled as "animating for smug designers" was refreshing. No need to install Cygwin to get a useful command line. Apache and SVN out of the box. Quality, no nonsense software. Easy install processes. Frequent software updates. TextMate. I was wrong, my MacBook Pro. I love you.
"I Wont Join Twitter"
I was once the typical moron that thought Twitter was about posting useless crap like "Sitting on the patio." "Eating a carrot." "Christina Ricci FTW." But since joining Twitter, I've realized that it's actually unbelievably useful. It's a great way to network, drive more traffic to deserving blog posts, and a great way to keep up with what's going on in web development. It's also a great place to talk smack to my fellow web gurus. Well played Twitter. Well played.
"UL Navigation is Overrated"
At one point I thought I was super clever about using only anchor elements with fixed width and heights, a display property of "block," and a touch of floating. Obviously I wasn't giving any thought to screen readers and users with visual impairments. My bad. I'm a grownup now.
"Dudes Don't Let Dudes Use Emoticons"
I was never an emoticon guy until I started working from home. It wasn't until then that I realized that emoticons can be incredibly useful in laying down an attitude about something you IM to a coworker, especially when you have a dry sense of humor...or you're IMing the person that signs your paycheck.
Your Turn
OK, so I've been wrong about a few things. I'm close to perfect not quite there yet. Since I've had the fortitude to come clean, it's time for you to do so as well. Share something you've been wrong about in the comments below and you will be absolved of all your web development sins.
Ha! Love the turnaround on the emoticons. I wasn’t big on them either until everyone and their dog used them at Sun.
“I Wont Join Twitter”, “Macs are for Smug Hippies”, “Browser-Specific APIs are Pointless” HAHA – it feels like de ja vu – I once thought like that, untill you work commercially in our industry for a good while and you come to realise you were an idiot. You learn by your mistakes. I love my MBP too! And, can you link us up with the 8GB deal you got today!???!!??!!
I’m sorry, but macs still suck horse diarrhea. Although, it is a matter of personal preference. And my personal preference says I should flush any apple products down the drain pipe. Peace.
btw, gravarars don’t get displayed for a comment until you refresh the page. Just letting you know. Should be easy to fix.
just a little ajax thing
I’ll get there — not hugely important right now.
I’ve been reading your blog for quite a while (even though your a Mootools fanboy :p), i prefer JQuery, but have always had an open mind about the others. I’ve found in this business you can’t pigeon hole yourself too much to one API, or framework. Again with the Mac point, i’ve only had my Macbook for about a year but have loved using it more than any of my previous PC’s, I have never been a vegan, hugged a tree, drunk zima but have done/do some of the others! As for the others, I’m glad you’ve seen the error of your ways.
As for me, i used to design websites in table layouts (it was back in the early 2000’s), thought Opera was the best browser for at least 12 months, thought that ICQ would last forever and thought Skype was going to be THE next big thing. Hopefully I’ll learn from these and other people’s mistakes.
I was wrong about many things, specially, now than I realize I’ll never stop doing what I do. Even when everything turns black.
I love your blog, It needs some emoticons in the comments.
P.S. Sorry for my English, I read your from Argentina.
Nothing, I’m right about everything.
I used to think people who used WordPress for professional websites we’re stupid, I used to think people who were zealous for standards were fanatics who didn’t live in the real world, I used to think that having html 5 replace flash-specific features was pointless. I’ve seen the light.
David, you definitely took all the good ones, I definitely identify with a lot of yours.
” No need to install Cygwin to get a useful command line. Apache and SVN out of the box. ”
That’s not Mac specific, you could get the same using Ubuntu or Debian. :P
I think you’ve sold me Mootools David which is going to go on my “Things To Learn in 2011” list.
It’s also time to get down with Twitter – I always try to avoid social media as I’ve got a 1001 over projects on the net to keep me occupied, but as you said – it’s a great way to network.
Emoticons, for us remote pajama warriors, are critical to not sounding ticked off in IM to all of your co-workers you’ve never seen in real life.
Pretty much any time I disagree with the missis I’m wrong.