[baobabKoodaa]

While you are correct, the problem compounds when popular package developers choose to use tiny packages.

I don't need left-pad.

But maybe I need react-starter-kit.

Now, imagine that react-starter-kit has a dependency to markdown-js-blobber, which has a dependency to make-text-nice, which has a dependency to left-pad.

In this scenario I am now "pulling in a package to pad a string". If I am "smart enough to use a package manager", I should be "more than capable to write..." an alternative to react-starter-kit..?

[jstanley]

The onus there is on the "make-text-nice" developer, not an eventual user of "make-text-nice".

[yurishimo]

I don't place any blame here on the person using `react-starter-kit` and I think you're being a bit obtuse to suggest otherwise. It's the original person who pulled in a package for <10 lines of code who is to blame.

[baobabKoodaa]

I provided the real reason for the high download counts of these packages.