[mattmcknight]

That really stood out to me as something that suggests this is a person I would not enjoy working with at all. The dislike for HTML templates is just a sign this author has a blind spot in their understanding of their role in the world. Rather than provide value, they are more interested in moral judgements of which technology is superior. React and Virtual DOM in general is just a workaround for browser limitations. To have bought into the hype and fandom around a technology like that is quite annoying. It's why I never hire anyone that is purely "front end" or "back end". While expertise in a particular technology is useful, understanding more of the stack is making him more valuable.