💥 “𝗝𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻.” 🧠 Yes, you can run it any browser and so on. But for me to learn a language doesn't mean to print "Hello world" to the console, but to be able to write a real project with it. And this is where all the complexities begin. Modern JS has a lot of concepts you need to understand: - async programming - how the event loop really works - how this behaves (and why it sometimes doesn’t) - FP patterns Also you will inevitably heavily utilise ecosystem since your first project. And JS ecosystem is the vastest. Each framework exposes an API utilising a lot of advanced JS features and complex patterns, so you can't skip learning them before shipping your first working project. On top of it, quite solid understanding of HTML and CSS is a must for any frontend project, and they are not a small thing to learn. And also junior js dev positions most likely have the highest number of applicants, so you have not only to barely understand all of those, but master it to land a job. So my personal advice - if you are just starting in programming ignore the advices to start with JS. Huge ecosystem and complex concepts and patterns you will need to comprehend from the very first steps won't make your life easy. What language would you recommend for beginners? I'd say C, Python, Go, which would you add? #JavaScript #Programming #CareerInTech #LearningToCode #TechHotTakes #CodeNewbie #DevCommunity #EngineeringThoughts
That's a thoughtful and honest take. JavaScript's initial simplicity is deceptive - the real complexity emerges when you move beyond "Hello World" and into asynchronous workflows, scoping quirks, and the sprawling ecosystem.
Fair point about JavaScript's complexity, but I think the real challenge is how fast the ecosystem moves, not the language itself. I've seen many beginners get overwhelmed by framework churn rather than core JS concepts. Started with C myself and it forced me to understand memory and types properly - but then switching to JS felt like learning to walk again with all its implicit behaviors
Great perspective 👏 JavaScript’s depth is often underestimated. It looks simple at first, but mastering its async nature and ecosystem takes real effort.
Interesting take. I’d challenge the blanket claim that JS is the hardest language to start with. The real issue is complexity vs payoff: beginners can struggle without shipping. Try a two-track start: build confidence with Python (scripts, small projects) to learn loops, data, and I/O; then layer in JS basics (promises, async/await, fetch, DOM) on a tiny project. If you start with JS, keep it tiny for the first 4-6 weeks-no frameworks. Is this pacing more effective for you than jumping straight into the ecosystem?