Beware the Shiny!
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The document discusses the concept of 'shiny' technologies in web development, cautioning against the impulse to learn new tools without sufficient time or relevance to ongoing projects. It emphasizes the importance of evaluating deadlines and requirements before jumping into new frameworks, and encourages developers to have specific projects in mind when learning. Additionally, the author shares best practices for acquiring new skills effectively, such as building on existing knowledge and avoiding outdated resources.
Beware the Shiny!
- 1. BEWARE The SHINY! Martha Rotter Friday 16 March 12
- 2. Beware the Shiny! Martha Rotter @martharotter martha@woop.ie Friday 16 March 12
- 3. How many of you have said this in the last year: (or month) (or week) Friday 16 March 12
- 4. I have really been meaning to get in to LESS. Friday 16 March 12
- 5. Man, knowing node.js would be so useful! Friday 16 March 12
- 6. I totally need to pick up some HAML. Friday 16 March 12
- 7. Just thinking of spending the weekend learning to build Android apps Friday 16 March 12
- 8. It’s time I finally figured out SASS, once and for all. Friday 16 March 12
- 9. Thinking I might try working Knockout.js into my next project. Friday 16 March 12
- 10. I might spend the next day or two transferring all of my databases into CouchDB. Just to try it out. Friday 16 March 12
- 11. Well, I know nothing about Backbone. It’s time to become an expert. Today. Oh, but first I just need to understand Underscore.js. That shouldn’t take long... Friday 16 March 12
- 12. WHAT’S THE PROBLEM MARTHA? Friday 16 March 12
- 13. Some rights reserved by marcus_jb1973 Friday 16 March 12
- 14. Some rights reserved by kk+ Friday 16 March 12
- 15. Some rights reserved by Ryan Hageman Friday 16 March 12
- 16. Who would you hire? Friday 16 March 12
- 17. “‘Shiny’ is not a tangible metric.” Friday 16 March 12
- 18. Here’s another problem. Friday 16 March 12
- 19. Friday 16 March 12
- 20. Were you an expert in: Friday 16 March 12
- 21. I’m not trying to keep you from learning, I promise Friday 16 March 12
- 22. Some rights reserved by La Citta Vita Friday 16 March 12
- 23. How to build sustainable skills? Friday 16 March 12
- 24. Lessons I’ve Learned from teaching web dev: • Know the difference between “taking a look”, “learning”, and “mastering” • Taking a look means understanding its purpose • Learning means knowing how to use it • Mastering means being able to handle it in complex situations Friday 16 March 12
- 25. An Example... Friday 16 March 12
- 26. Some rights reserved by j u s t i n . z Friday 16 March 12
- 27. Now is the time... Friday 16 March 12
- 28. STOP. HOLD UP. NO HAMMER TIME. Friday 16 March 12
- 29. Ask yourself: • What’s the deadline for this project? • Do I have a spare day or two (or three or four) to try this out during the project? (If not why are you considering jeopardizing the project’s deadline?) • Is this specific to this project or will I use this technology again in some or many future projects? Friday 16 March 12
- 30. Evaluate • If the answers to the questions lead you to believe a) there is time, b) it won’t add to the client’s costs, and c) you can still complete it on time, go for it. • If not, all is not lost. Find a weekend or evening where you can work on it on a personal project. Do NOT just do how-to tutorials! Have an actual project! Friday 16 March 12
- 31. Back to our example... Friday 16 March 12
- 32. This could go one of two ways. Friday 16 March 12
- 33. the way we imagine it will go when we decide to add on a fun new framework: Friday 16 March 12
- 34. Friday 16 March 12
- 35. and the way it sometimes works when you try working with old, broken tutorials and discover the method you need has had a bug filed on it for 8 months with no activity and no one is answering you on IRC. You wake up at 4pm on a Thursday afternoon on the floor in your hallway after working straight through since Monday, and you realize you need to start from scratch to finish by 5pm tomorrow. Friday 16 March 12
- 36. Some rights reserved by David Boyle Friday 16 March 12
- 37. Let’s not do that, mkay? Friday 16 March 12
- 38. Best Practices for the Shiny Friday 16 March 12
- 39. When you start learning something new, have a project in mind Friday 16 March 12
- 40. Remember shiny things change often. Friday 16 March 12
- 41. Beware outdated help documentation, tutorials & blog posts Friday 16 March 12
- 42. When looking at something new, think about how you might use it Friday 16 March 12
- 43. Build on top of what you already know. Create a foundation. Friday 16 March 12
- 44. Find a partner in crime. Friday 16 March 12
- 45. Find the hideouts! Friday 16 March 12
- 46. Ask questions. (And don’t do the “This might sound really stupid but...”) Friday 16 March 12
- 47. Don’t try to learn it all at once. Friday 16 March 12
- 48. Don’t be afraid to invest in yourself. Friday 16 March 12
- 49. Pay attention to the world around you. Friday 16 March 12
- 50. Remember: there’s nothing wrong with shiny. It’s what you build with it that counts! Friday 16 March 12
- 51. Thanks! Friday 16 March 12