> But it's also true that I see a lot of dissatisfaction around the long-term maintainability of doing things in basic HTML/CSS
this. I've been front-end for the last several years, and I always tell my managers that front end doesn't need to write for scalability or extensibility (though those are both GOOD!), it needs to first prioritize _replaceability_. Because the "asks" will change dramatically in just a few years, even if the tech doesn't change (and the tech does also change - stupidly fast).
In fact, most backend systems I've seen that are a mess actually work great...if you use them as originally intended. But the current asks are different than those. Software both requires assumptions and doesn't handle changes in assumption well.
Anyone arguing from a point of code purity without acknowledging these facts doesn't persuade me of much. Sadly, this means that in the regular churn we don't get to pull in all the truly valuable points that are left aside with the other items. (See how much of the industry, myself included, is re-learning lessons learned by the early programming pioneers)
this. I've been front-end for the last several years, and I always tell my managers that front end doesn't need to write for scalability or extensibility (though those are both GOOD!), it needs to first prioritize _replaceability_. Because the "asks" will change dramatically in just a few years, even if the tech doesn't change (and the tech does also change - stupidly fast).
In fact, most backend systems I've seen that are a mess actually work great...if you use them as originally intended. But the current asks are different than those. Software both requires assumptions and doesn't handle changes in assumption well.
Anyone arguing from a point of code purity without acknowledging these facts doesn't persuade me of much. Sadly, this means that in the regular churn we don't get to pull in all the truly valuable points that are left aside with the other items. (See how much of the industry, myself included, is re-learning lessons learned by the early programming pioneers)