Node.js is Cancer (2011)

http://pages.citebite.com/b2x0j8q1megb

by angersock • 13 years ago

81 39 13 years ago

pages.citebite.com

angersock• 13 years ago

Folks, why are you upvoting this?

It only talks about CPU usage, Node not being Unixy enough, and Javascript being terrible.

A better critique would have included talks about callback hell, or the general philosophical issues of non-block/evented work versus synchronous programming: see the classic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzkRVzciAZg .

This isn't even that great a rant.

(I appreciate my fellow Rails devs probably upvoting it out of spite, but c'mon...)

anonymoushn• 13 years ago

It's also two years old. I don't get it.

maratd2• 13 years ago

Folks, why are you upvoting this?

Mostly, because it's funny. What's even funnier is how people take this sort of stuff personally.

I use Node, I know its limitations. I also use PHP. And Ruby. And Python. I use everything. I like having a full toolbox.

These languages are just that. Tools. If you went up to a carpenter and made fun of his hammer, do you really think he'll be pissed? He knows what his hammer is capable of and doesn't need anyone else to tell him.

A better question would be why this sort of commentary starts flame wars?

WoodenChair2• 13 years ago

This is not directed at your comment individually, nor is it anything about your content in particular... but IF I HAVE TO HEAR THE TOOL/TOOLSET ANALOGY ONE MORE TIME to describe programming languages, I think I will... be disappointed in your lack of creativity. Really, don't you guys have any other analogies in your "toolbox"?

jepsen• 13 years ago

I use node, .net, java, php, python, ruby, different horses for different courses. Sounds like this guy just loves to argue, bet he's fun to work with....

JonnieCache2• 13 years ago

I dunno...

"I know there's a closed form solution. Shouldn't you be in front of a mirror somewhere, figuring out how to introduce yourself to her?"

is pretty great.

LaGrange2• 13 years ago

If you’re a teenager then yes. Otherwise, it’s an ad persona towards an expected legitimate complaint: „hey, maybe a lot of work actually isn’t CPU-bound?” Seriously, if you can’t discern between solution for CPU-bound and IO-bound problems, you should consider a different career.

LaGrange2• 13 years ago

It’s Ted Dziuba, a minor network celebrity and generally annoying dude with sensible technology competence and otherwise usual libertarian blabbing tendencies, including „get a life” style comments as evidenced in the post (if you tell people to get a life, you should get a life, and no, I don’t have a life). And this post actually got deleted, which is why you’re getting it from Google Cache. Consider that an art statement on the condition of Hacker News existence.

Arnor• 13 years ago

TL;DR OP knows very little about cancer...

JacksonGariety• 13 years ago

Thanks for the laugh.

nkohari• 13 years ago

Every month this hits the front page of HN, and each time it's less and less relevant.

drhayes9• 13 years ago

I clicked the link and wondered why the author appears to have deleted the original post.

"I kinda remember this guy," I thought to myself. "Let me read what else he has to say."

Then I found this: http://teddziuba.com/post/24585610978/starting-over

Maybe he just didn't want to import his old posts into Tumblr somehow. Or maybe something else.

I dunno. Just thinking.

pistle2• 13 years ago

It's like how a super-villain goes evil, but not at all. I miss his brother...

LukeWalsh• 13 years ago

I think this post is certainly correct in addressing CPU issues, and certain problems with Javascript.

What it fails to recognize however is that the "how" of Node.js isn't the cool part about node. The cool part is the "what" which is bridging the gap between the client and the server. This is the reason that people tolerate writing more javascript, not because everone loves javascript.

voidlogic• 13 years ago

The cool part is the "what" which is bridging the gap between the client and the server.

This is what loses me- how is that cool or good? I would much rather write a static html/css/angular frontend and have it talk to a Go webservice on my server. I want to use the best language for the client and server side, why do I care if they are the same? I want them to be basically completely independent apps where I could replace one or the other with a new implementation.

davegb3• 13 years ago

True, but there are cases when having the same language both sides can save some time, like validation routines for example. Not always appropriate, but can be a leg up on a project.

janogonzalez• 13 years ago

Hacker News jumped the shark xD

briantakita• 13 years ago

It's nice to see the "is cancer" meme provide some variety to the all too common "considered harmful". It's more biological.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/06/02/ballmer_linux_is_a_c...

pistle2• 13 years ago

Which do I dislike more? Ridiculous font scale for chepaly repsonsive design SEO roach blog posts which gives me scroll wheel tendonitis..

Or blissfully, unapologetically unformatted content?

bdcravens• 13 years ago

You do realize this is an archived version of a Google cache, and all of the images/CSS referenced are all 404's as a result?

tlrobinson• 13 years ago

(2011)

I'm curious what Ted's view on Node.js is now that it (and he) has matured a bit.

sil3ntmac• 13 years ago

Not really anything useful in this article. To make fibonacci "non-blocking", you use process.nextTick callbacks to "interweave" the computations, just like real threads!

borkabrak• 13 years ago

I don't agree with it; I think time is proving him wrong.

But that is hilariously written. I love a well-executed embittered screed.

glynch• 13 years ago

I'm a little confused about this. He complains about Node violating separation of responsibility, and then about putting HTTP servers in front of Node. Would anyone with more sysadmin experience mind explaining what the drawbacks of this approach are compared to a more traditional setup?

etler• 13 years ago

I'm more disturbed by these comments that are pro trolling. I personally like to have thought out technical discussions without hyperbolic yelling, but I guess that's just me.

mrbrowning• 13 years ago

I've never worked with Node and probably never will, but it's pretty dishonest to conflate the sense of "blocking" as in "postponed execution" with "blocking" as in "executing an intensive CPU-bound job" to make a point that shouldn't be surprising to anyone who's paying attention.

elwell• 13 years ago

My favorite sentence started with: "A long time ago, the original neckbeards decided..."

tn13• 13 years ago

This article does not do justice to Node and it is not even an accurate criticism of Node.

I can provide similar arguments about PHP, Ruby, Python as well as JAVA and say they are cancer too but they are not. Every technology has its limitations but there is no doubt that NodeJS has opened up many new possibilities when it comes to doing thing on web. It will never be able to do everything that say JAVA does but it will always do a few things lot better than say Java or Ruby.

A good developer will always pick the best tool for the job without being "emotionally attached" to any one tool.

I will also not criticize those who are doing crazy things like writing a JVM using javascript. These people are pushing the limits, faster we reach those limits it is better for the rest of the community.

Node.js is Cancer (2011)

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