50 extra packages are cursed
There is a user in the JavaScript community who goes around adding "backwards compatibility" to projects. They do this by adding 50 extra package dependencies to your project, which are maintained by them.
which bring to this user: Jordan Harband https://github.com/sponsors/ljharb
Does anyone know what they actually mean with that cursed knowledge point? And what's the "backwards compatibility" that Jordan also boasts in his GH profile?
To not just link to another thread: The specialty of ljharbs issues sits somewhere between "JavaScript is a very dynamic programming language that grew a lot and quite fast" and "we cannot trust developers to do the right thing".
His libraries tend to build up on older runtime implementations and freeze every used functionality during runtime, so they provide "second-run safety" and "backwards compatibility". Developers disagree with some of its effects, such as a grown dependency tree and impacts in performance of multiple magnitudes (as measured in micro-benchmarks). ljharb seems to follow a rather strong ideology, but is a member of the TC39 group and a highly trusted person.
It definitely feels a bit strange and potentially alarming, but after reading through that whole thread he ultimately seems like a sincere person doing work that he thinks matters, now getting dogpiled for it.
At least in the thread linked here, it seems like his maintainership over the project is legitimate, which makes it wrong to characterize him as "forcing" his ways on anyone.
Even ignoring that examples of his behavior are easily found elsewhere, the link itself shows him completely disregarding feedback from other contributors to force his own way.
Honestly, I can't understand the intent behind such a defensive rebuttal to the criticism of his actions.
My point wasn't about javascript. He got pushback because he ignored everyone and just did his own thing.
It has nothing to do with javascript and you can see that in the link. That's a weird excuse.
