Configuration is tedious
Time to read
, 311 words, 4th grade
Let us be blunt: much of modern web development is more configuration than creation. This is true for much “programming” as well.
Instead of writing code, we are busy configuring someone elseʼs code. Paint by numbers, am I right? Fun when youʼre a kid, but …
How much more joyful to craft the code yourself! We are not saying that you canʼt use code completion tools or boilerplate or even copy and paste to save a lot of typing. It is not about typing.
We value creating.
Why would anyone build a house themselves when they could buy one on the market? Why would anyone make their own jewelry or clothing when they can buy it right off the rack? Why cook your own meals from scratch when you can pop a premade dinner in the microwave?
There is joy in working with our hands and minds to create something new. Something unique. Something all our own. And yet, how many of us have lost touch with this? How many of us find ourselves in boring jobs doing rote work for no real gain?
Some will complain that we repeat ourselves. They will remind us of DRY: Donʼt Repeat Yourself. And that is not bad advice. Usually.
But we are not recommending pointless repetition. Creating similar configurations over and over again: that is pointless repetition. Let the AI do that. What we are talking about is iteration: an upward spiral of learning and creating.
Building yet another feature on some bloated interface that no one needs. Isnʼt that the modern Sisyphean task? But to invest time and effort in creating ever-better jewels of web application art. Isnʼt that a task worth doing?
We declare that it is.