HN user
As a hobby you have complete control, as a professional in a large team, you have very little control.
I think that more mirrors why so many people who program professionally get so much satisfaction by hobby projects or taking time off to work on their own project.
The original post really is criticizing a straw man. Not just because they are missing the point such as how you are saying, but their paint positive thinking as relentless and illogical lies.
Much like criticizing all liberals as being dreadlock'd pot smoking communists, or criticizing conservatives for hating everyone who isn't them and being heartless.
Using these extreme examples does nothing more than incite arguments... But I guess in this guess arguments get you links, and links get you ad revenue... perhaps it's not so surprising why this article was written.
Not to be a contrarian; but I think this is kind of throwing out the baby with the bath water.
At one point YAML, or JSON were considered new, useless technology.. Why would you need it when you have XML? Look at noSQL databases, originally dismissed as a waste of time, but now they are proving to be important technology in the current day. Technology is only "trendy garbage" in hindsight; when its new we can't tell the difference between D and C#. JavaScript thick clients have some bad examples, but to call them flash websites is a little overstating it.
Successful JavaScript applications aren't a replacement for websites, they are a replacement for software application. Calling them bad websites is really missing the point.
Awareness isn't valueless, look at what pink and a ribbon did for cancer.
This is just another cynical internet blogger trying to make himself feel enlightened ;) nothing more.
I'm pretty sure they are just trying to ride this publicity gravy train as long and as hard as they can.
Look at all the publicity, they are on Reddit, news sites, twitter, HN... I've never heard of them until today, and I imagine I'm, not alone.
Yea I had a similar issue when I used to hang out in that IRC channel as well when I sold flash games.
I work AAA development now, but its weird to see porter and king talking about these things that went down back when this community was full of lovable little underdogs.
year #schools
2008 1778
2009 1879
2010 2048
2011 1972
2012 2103
2013 2253
According to the spread sheet, this is the numbers per year of schools that offered it nationally. (5A - 12B on Sheet1)