[stephenr]

Basically every wheel has been reinvented (usually worse than the thing they're trying to replace) multiple times, just because.

On the front end every tool now relies on and is installed by npm/nodejs and will require 90 other packages, and will be replaced yet again in 6 months time.

Basically, web developers got sick of "they're not real programmers, they just write scripts" and made their own ridiculous tool chains to solve problems they themselves created.

Edit: forgot to add, every developer who knows what bash is feels like they're a qualified system admin now because aws has an api so ops staff are no longer required.

[bbcbasic]

I would further add that JS is becoming the assembly of everything. It is now hip to write desktop applications, server back ends and mobile applications in JS. Pick a language and I will find you a transpiler or 10 that will convert that to JS. There are also lots of new languages invented just for transpiling to JS. People spend months of their life writing compilers and toolchains for free, so that one day some other company can profit from their labours.

There are dozens of JS package managers and packing systems. JS files start with 100's of bytes of boilerplate to try and figure out what defacto module system is being used and then respond appropriately.

[stephenr]

> It is now hip to write desktop applications, server back ends and mobile applications in JS.

JS use is definitely increasing. I'm not sure if you're using "hip" positively or not.

[kablaa]

Also, whichever wheel you pick to put on your project is terrible. When someone asks what tools you are using, just say "which ever tools you like to use". Because any other answer will be wrong....and god help you if so much as think the word PHP.