The JavaScripter's guide to rational development

JavaScript Fatigue is a real thing, and there must be rules & processes in place to help prevent it from happening to you. These are my thoughts.

Learn, don’t apply

Learn new libraries, npm packages, and development methodologies, but don’t apply them to your current projects until best practices are formed. This might take some time, hence the next rule…

Wait one year

Don’t implement any library, package or methodology for a period of one year after it’s initial release. The hurry to implement the latest & greatest is a big factor in contributing to your fatigue. Just hold the brake, and wait.

Avoid magic

Avoid projects that seem like they do magic even under the strongest of temptations, until you actually learn what is going on behind the scenes. Understand what is going on with your code, and code you utilize. That understanding will help ease your mind’s fatigue.

Support

Avoid implementing large libraries or developmental methodologies that would be crucial to the core of your project if they have few past GitHub issues or lack community involvement. If implemented, the support will lie solely on your knowledge and findings, so be aware. Give back to community projects wherever possible to ease other’s fatigue.

80/20

Implement 80/20 time to learn new JavaScript version features, design patterns, and best practices. ES6 is JavaScript. Decorators do exist in ES7. It is JavaScript, and your livelihood, so learn it. Only implement what you learn when you are fully comfortable with what you are implementing, and understand how and why something is the way it is.

Halt upgrades

Do upgrade libraries, packages, and platform updates that contain only bugfix or non-breaking updates, however wait a couple weeks before doing so to make sure the version is stable. Don’t update code containing breaking updates if you don’t understand those updates or what is involved with the update process.

Don’t worry. Your code worked yesterday, and it will work tomorrow. It will most likely still be working a year from now. Calm down and relax, and you can help combat JavaScript Fatigue.