Keep It Simple
Web development has a tendency to overcomplicate the basics, evolving in such a way where the previously impossible becomes possible and even encouragingly easy, but the previously simple becomes too complicated, slow and over-engineered. The frameworks we over-list on resumes and github repos have their uses, but we tend to be encouraged to use the same one for everything, to show our expertise. Creating products (even just as a showcase) that use too much resources without getting a better product.
I despise this type of over-engineering and horrified to see it crop up everywhere. It's in every product I can buy (smart lamp, AI fridge with screen, AI microwave...), every service that wants my money (infinite AI buttons where none would suffice), throwing the rules and guidelines of good design out of the window.
Good products and good companies strive to understand their consumers and build the perfect tool for the job, which will allow them to obviously do what they previously couldn't. Over-engineered products over-promise, under-deliver and make what was previously simple, painful. We have downgraded as a society into short term shit-boxes that seem to have a cheap entry fee, but a steep time, comfort, annoyance and replacement fee.
This is why I aim to use the simplest tool for the job, when available. If the task at hand can be done with less power, less compute, less calculations, less steps and less complications, I will do it. If I can use vanilla web technologies as opposed to next.js, I will. If HTMX perfectly suffices I will not use Javascript. If javascript suffices I will not use React, unless I have to. Unless it's better for the product and end user. I will not use the framework du jour for the sake of "it sounds better." I will use what works, what is best and what makes sense, every time and I will build products I am proud of, products people would love using, products that will make their day slightly better just by one interaction.
These thoughts were stoked by this observation which I've been lambently thinking about for years but haven't found this clearly stated. Stating what feels obvious to us might just be the thing another person needs to fill in their thinking and make the hunch fully obvious to them as well. A perfect reason d'etre for this blog if I ever need one.