The JavaScript phenomenon is a mass psychosis

The JavaScript phenomenon is a mass psychosis by Richard Kenneth Eng

Interesting read.

Enterprise JavaScript -- Not the best idea

See this:

JavaScript is a swampy foundation for your enterprise codebase: My latest column at SD Times http://t.co/a82aUquk0d
— Larry O'Brien (@lobrien) February 20, 2014

The article lists reasons why Enterprise JavaScript is a recipe for disaster. "Finally, there's legacy integration..." This is the point.

In particular, JavaScript needs to get the data from somewhere: a backend process. If we push business knowledge into the front-end, even if we're assiduous about code libraries and sharing, we still have to fight with the "Out-Of-Date JS Library" issue. Server-side business knowledge is inherently consistent and sharable.

The big reason JavaScript feels good is because it's seems productive. Java is complex. C++, C#, and Objective C are Very Complex.

And.

Backend programming doesn't allow you to see finished-looking stuff right away. When you're fooling around with JavaScript you feel like you're doing real work. You're moving data around on the HTML page, that's productivity, right?

A spreadsheet is just as productive as JavaScript presentation.  Almost exactly as productive. The underlying data and processing still originates somewhere else. That's where the real value lies. In the data. In the backend.

Cool stuff I saw at MADExpo

A random list of cool things.

1. HTML5.  Start now.  It's supported (more or less) by all browsers if you add appropriate shims.  Start with sites like http://www.html5rocks.com/en/ and continue reading.  It's largely arrived and there's no compelling reason to delay.
2. JavaScript.  I'm not a fan of the language.  However.  It's clearly here to stay. It's part of many important technologies (like CouchDB).  HTML5 shims (or shivs) are necessary.  Flex (and other browser plug-in languages) are effectively dead.  JavaScript is all that's left.
3. Redis.  Wow! Is that cool?  Rather that fart around trying to get outstanding performance out of a clunky old RDBMS, use a simple, high performance data store.
4. MongoDB.  Now that I've seen it, I have a vague notion of places where Mongo is better and places where Couch might be better.  In 80% of the application space, both are fine.  But there's a 20% where we might be able to split a hair and leverage the slightly different feature sets.

I don't build mobile apps.  But if I did, I think I'd start with Appcelerator Titanium before switching to a "native" development environment.  The idea that several standard features are readily accessible with a convenient development environment is pleasant.

I finally laid eyes on an Arduino.  Let me simply say that it looks like dangerous, dangerous fun.  I think I'll be hanging around at Radio Shack a lot.