i think what i'm enjoying most about node.js and the new frameworks, is that they require me to think differently. i'm also optimistic about coding end-to-end in the same language (client, server, database). this is a big learning curve for many folks. i remember when folks transitioned from C to C++ and from C++ to Java -- it takes awhile. i think this is going to be a lot of fun to see where it takes us. also i think work like coffeescript and future IDEs might make this really interesting. Also meteor -- lots of creativity and cool things.
2nd that!!! Create a small 100% javascript client side application and don't use any libraries or frameworks, and implement using MVC approach. Going thru an exercise like this will really help out when working with the frameworks and give you a nice background with Javascript. One of the things that can be a bit confusing for folks new to Javascript is how OO and Inheritance is done. I would recommend this book: Pro Javascript Design Patterns and http://howtonode.org/object-graphs this 3 part tutorial
great point! i like to share this previous experience. years ago while working in large os development teams my approach was it was not enough to write tools/automate such that less experienced folks could perform tasks that had usually been done by senior folks -- the implementation had to empower the folks with less experience to control their own destiny -- which meant simplifying the implementation to the extreme. This also empowered the senior folks too as often the tools are not a primary focus, they just want to get some done and on with it