Start Here
First time here? I’ve put together a ton of resources to help you dig deeper into vanilla JS.
Articles
- The Transitional Web
- Congrats, you’re a front end developer!
- SPAs were a mistake
- How to make MPAs that are as fast as SPAs
- When are developer tools worth using, and when do they just add more overhead?
- Myths about vanilla JS
- Progressive enhancement: the new hotness™
- The rise of JavaScript compilers and micro-libraries
- Web tech is better. Developer norms are worse.
- The golden rule of JavaScript: use as little as possible
- Vanilla JS is a web performance decision
- Always bet on HTML
- How I structure my vanilla JS projects
- Accessibility is hard. It’s also your job.
- Overengineering CSS
- Just because a big, well-known tech company does something doesn’t mean you should, too
- Your website data is a lie
- Being a developer with ADHD
- Do I have ADHD?
Free Courses & Ebooks
- Vanilla JS Projects, a collection of 15 self-paced projects with short lessons, starting templates, and source code.
- The Lean Web is a set of principles for a simpler, faster world-wide web.
- Web Developer Career Guide covers how to find open roles, write resumes that get seen by an actual human, navigate the interview process, and more. Grab a free copy.
Podcasts
- The Stack Overflow Podcast: Teaching People JavaScript
- Frontend Horse: Building a JavaScript library from scratch
- Smashing Podcast: Are modern developer best practices bad for the web?
- Smashing Podcast: Is the web dead?
- JS Party: JavaScript is the CO2 of the web
- JS Party: Ship less JavaScript, closer to the user
- devMode.fm: Returning sanity to the web dev process
- Code Newbie: JavaScript, changing careers, and finding your niche
- We Belong Here: How to hack your job hunt
- Junior to Senior: How to start a career in JavaScript
Learning Resources
- Daily Developer Tips. I send out a short email each weekday with code snippets, techniques, and ideas on how to build a simpler, more resilient web.
- Podcast. A show about JavaScript (and more) for people who hate the complexity of modern front‑end web development.
- Toolkit. A collection of boilerplates, helper functions, and libraries you can copy/paste to make building a simpler, more resilient web a bit easier.
- Courses & Workshops. Made specifically for beginners and aspiring front-end developers. Learn how to build a simpler, more resilient web.
- Consulting. Ship faster, reduce costs, and simplify your development process.
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Email me directly at chris@gomakethings.com.
Questions?
If you have questions about anything, or just want to chat more about the Lean Web, send me an email at chris@gomakethings.com.