Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by mmcnl 1258 days ago
I agree that web development is complex. I disagree that abstraction layers add complexity. Abstraction layers solve problems. If you don't have the problems that these abstraction layers solve, then you might perceive that as complex, but most people actually do experience these problems.

The web is not just for websites anymore, it's a universal platform for app distribution. This means web apps can instantly be made available to billions of users. You noticed that yourself. This brings all kinds of complexity that these layers solve. They absorb complexity, not add it. So I don't understand why you would say things have gotten "bad". Things were way worse, but individial contributors never noticed.
1 comments
clnq 1258 days ago
> I agree that web development is complex. I disagree that abstraction layers add complexity. Abstraction layers solve problems.

True, until there's a bug in abstraction level 6 caused by an upstream change in proprietary abstraction level 3 that's been patched in abstraction level 8, but not for your specific case. Then it becomes complex.

link
mmcnl 1258 days ago
Yes, but in my experience this doesn't actually happen that often as long as you don't rely on external dependencies too much. This happens in any ecosystem btw.
link
mgkimsal 1257 days ago
> as long as you don't rely on external dependencies too much. This happens in any ecosystem btw.

I can't think of many 'modern' projects in the web world that do not rely heavily on an often very large number of external dependencies.

link