The 'HTML Isn't a Real Language' Gatekeeper
Description
A three-panel comic strip featuring crudely drawn stick figures, based on the 'Quit Having Fun' or 'Dad and Son Gaming' meme format. In the first panel, a standing stick figure angrily asks a seated stick figure, who is happily engaged with a TV screen, 'why do you like this'. The screen displays the HTML5 logo over a background of blue code. In the second panel, the standing figure becomes more dismissive, stating, 'you guys could use a real programming language'. The seated figure remains happily engrossed. In the final panel, the standing figure is enraged, leaning forward and yelling, 'QUIT HAVING FUN'. The meme satirizes the toxic gatekeeping and elitism within the developer community, specifically targeting the tired and pedantic argument about whether HTML qualifies as a 'real programming language'. It mocks those who belittle web technologies and cannot stand to see others find enjoyment or success with tools they deem inferior
Comments
25Comment deleted
The time some engineers spend arguing whether HTML is Turing complete could have been used to build a profitable business with it. But sure, the declarative syntax is the real problem
HTML may not be Turing-complete, but neither is Kubernetes YAML - and we still trust it with the entire cluster, so maybe save the gatekeeping for when prod isn’t on fire
After 20 years in the industry, I've learned that the developers who mock CSS are usually the same ones who spend three sprints debugging a race condition they introduced while 'optimizing' perfectly functional code, meanwhile the frontend team shipped five features and actually improved user metrics
Ah yes, the classic 'HTML isn't a real programming language' take - usually delivered by someone whose entire SaaS product would be a blank screen without it. Sure, HTML isn't Turing-complete, but neither is SQL, and I don't see anyone volunteering to rewrite their database queries in C. The real irony? Half the people making this argument are writing React components that compile down to... HTML. It's the software equivalent of a classically trained musician mocking someone for enjoying pop music - technically correct on paper, but missing the point that we're all just trying to ship features here
C++ elders gatekeeping fun while Rustaceans cargo build without a single lifetime annotation panic
If HTML isn’t a real language, why does your “real” stack need JSX, a templating DSL, and two transpilers just to emit it for the DOM’s VM?
HTML isn’t a “real language”; it’s the user contract - break it and your microservices are just expensive background noise
I'm not having fun while looking at the websites of various billion-dollar companies Comment deleted
not having fun using js either Comment deleted
same, luckily, js isn't really that essential anymore. I'm avoiding using it where I can. Comment deleted
So what are you use then ? Comment deleted
html5+css3 almost exclusively. see on my website: https://riedler.wien/music/ Comment deleted
Psycho Comment deleted
*developer with a will to live Comment deleted
No if you use CSS-in-JS approach 😉 Comment deleted
no html, just css Comment deleted
Ah yes, non-turing complete programming language Comment deleted
Have fun writing on json Comment deleted
Never seen HTML being described as fun lmao Comment deleted
it is if you avoid the evil features. Comment deleted
imo writing js/logic for components is way more fun Comment deleted
imo writing stuff with a programming language that's sane is way more fun. Like python or C++ or something. Comment deleted
yup Comment deleted
I would better write rest api for fucking social network from scratch, imo Frontend terrifies me, quit having fun! Comment deleted
it must be Flash up on screen Comment deleted