Were you looking for work when FB approached you either time? If so, why would you take yourself out of the running given you’re (I’m assuming) an experienced developer?
On my iPhone SE (mobile Safari), elements are being truncated on the right side of the screen, meaning I can’t view all the data. I’m not near a laptop right now, but I wonder if you’re forgetting:
I’m curious about the pool of Facebook users who seldom use the product, retaining it solely for groups and to keep in touch with family. Will this event loosen that final brick and drive these users to delete their accounts?
> ...we’ve built programs that just dont talk to each other at all.
This really struck me, the idea that perhaps software mirrors the human experience. In the US, we've traded tribalism for individualism, open discussion for echo chambers, and the exchange of beliefs for the walled garden of one's personal vision.
It's sad how these valuable optimizations are unknown to the average person. When I hear "the browser" discussed in almost any parlance, the implication is Chrome. It's rare to even hear someone say "Chrome," as it's the defacto choice for the non-mobile web. Convenience breeds ignorance.
Carousels are the type of UI pattern that is only okay if you ask for it. Amazon is a good example of a carousel done right. If I want to see the full-sized images which are part of a customer's product review, I click on the thumbnail representing these images, with the expectation that some larger, more obvious version of the images will be made available. Once a carousel appears in an overlay, it's not disturbing or annoying at all. It's there because I asked for it.
Tech shops keep asking for more and more, beneath the ever-widening "full stack" moniker, and we developers do our best to oblige them. But, clearly, critical decisions are being made (or not) by people who are inexperienced yet afraid to ask for help. Maybe it's time to hire more "I-shaped" developers, rather than an org full of shaky generalists.
Amazing examples. Great library. Coupled with the Intersection Observer API[0], this software could add a lot of value to an instructive app or website. Imagine these beautiful annotations tastefully animating as various elements are observed as the user scrolls.
Great advice as always (newsletter subscriber). The other piece of advice I offer is to join Stack Overflow and answer a few questions a week. This helps reinforce skills, understand common developer pain points, and can occasionally lead to a job offer.
One reason why we may have one line packages is the demand FAANG places on applicants. On three job screens from three different companies, I was asked, "Which npm packages have you created that we'd know about?"
For many who are hell-bent on entering these companies, yet have no known packages under their belt, they very well might fire off a one line package that actually gets some downloads, to be better "prepared" when screened.
While articles like this always bring a smile, I'm saddened for the animals, knowing that their ecological reprieve will soon be dashed by human recklessness. I've actually begun to enjoy many aspects of the quarantine, and would like it to continue a lot longer. The planet is better off without us.