Javascript - no thanks

to JS or not to JS, that is the question

For years, I have been telling myself that I really should learn Javascript. Let's face it, it IS the language of the web after all. But every time I sit down to learn the language, syntactically it just doesn't resonate with me. I'm not a fan of the form of the language itself, it isn't (for me) particularly readable, and while the browser war is largely a non-issue, historically the browsers didn't agree with how Javascript should be handled. I'll take the JSON and leave the canolli, err, Javascript.

I spent a bit of time a number of years ago to get familiar with Python, and I find it very easy to read. Give me a Python script and I should be able to understand what the script is doing in short order. I also like the syntax and the formatting of the language. Python just resonates. I'm also comfortable with HTML and CSS, but CSS can be a bit of a mixed bag given the fun of organizing CSS and media queries. It's nice to format for multiple screens, or at least to be able to do so, but it can be a serious pain.

Side note, I can usually be found also hacking on bash, SQL, PowerShell and other scripts in and out of a coding harness.

Let's jump ahead a bit to today...

As of the time of this writing, here is how a quick Google search (yeah, that is still a thing) lists the most popular programming languages today:

Python
TypeScript
Javascript
Go
Rust
SQL

So why not JS?

In short, I don't know what that buys me today generally, and it certainly isn't a particular value add to my career or aspirations. Call me short sighted if you must, but given my general lack of enthusiasm for the language as outlined above I'd much rather let AI focus on JS. And frankly, a lot of the Python as well.

Don't get me wrong, I still design the app, review the code and make adjustments where I see fit. I've often found that tools like Claude Code can not only turn out amazing code, but Claude can also produce some interesting slop during a vibe session. To combat this, I tend to focus on spec-driven development - a topic I may cover off on in a future post. But given how fast things are moving in the industry, I can't bring myself to invest the time to learn JS. I don't want to. (Imagine me crossing my arms across my chest in spite with a thick lower lip.)

I know I'll continue to second guess this for years to come. I can say that I feel somewhat happy with the decision I've come to. It will just be one of those small, nagging voices in the back of my brain questioning the decision. But worry not, looking at JS syntax will quickly put me back on my present track.

And no, it is not lost on my that my SSG (11ty) is Javascript to the core.

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