[jackmoore]

DOM inconsistencies aside, a big advantage jQuery has over native API is that it is just as easy to work with multiple elements as it is single elements.

Modifying your example:

    var d = document.querySelectorAll('div');
    d = Array.prototype.slice.call(d);
    d.forEach(function(el){ el.classList.add('new') });

Vesus:

    $('div').addClass('new');

[rcgs]

It is possible to do that without the variable assignment in JS...

    [].forEach.call(document.querySelectorAll('div'), function(el) {
        el.classList.add('new');
    });

But I don't disagree that the jQuery example is easier to write/read/remember.

Though with frameworks like Angular or React I'm beginning to question whether we should ever be writing code like this at all.

[jackmoore]

Agreed. I mainly use React these days, and directly modifying the DOM is starting to feel dirty.