Ethan Marcotte
“The way to deal with that [learning curve] is not to hammer [CSS] into a different shape, but to get to know it.” adactio.com/journal/12571
Last month I went to CSS Day in Amsterdam, as an attendee this year, not a speaker. It was an excellent conference comprising the titular CSS day and a Browser API Special the day before.
By the end of CSS Day, my brain was full. Experiencing the depth of knowledge that’s contained in CSS now made me appreciate how powerful a language it is. I mean, the basics of CSS—selectors, properties, and values—can be grasped in a day. But you can spend a lifetime trying to master the details. Heck, you could spend a lifetime trying to master just one part of CSS, like layout, or text. And there would always be more to learn.
Unlike a programming language that requires knowledge of loops, variables, and other concepts, CSS is pretty easy to pick up. Maybe it’s because of this that it has gained the reputation of being simple. It is simple in the sense of “not complex”, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Mistaking “simple” for “easy” will only lead to heartache.
I think that’s what’s happened with some programmers coming to CSS for the first time. They’ve heard it’s simple, so they assume it’s easy. But then when they try to use it, it doesn’t work. It must be the fault of the language, because they know that they are smart, and this is supposed to be easy. So they blame the language. They say it’s broken. And so they try to “fix” it by making it conform to a more programmatic way of thinking.
I can’t help but think that they would be less frustrated if they would accept that CSS is not easy. Simple, yes, but not easy. Using CSS at scale has a learning curve, just like any powerful technology. The way to deal with that is not to hammer the technology into a different shape, but to get to know it, understand it, and respect it.
“The way to deal with that [learning curve] is not to hammer [CSS] into a different shape, but to get to know it.” adactio.com/journal/12571
CSS – @adactio “Mistaking “simple” for “easy” will only lead to heartache.” adactio.com/journal/12571
“They’ve heard it (#css) is simple, so they assume it’s easy”adactio.com/journal/12571 by @adactio
Learning CSS is like learning bass. You can learn the basics quickly, but you’ll spend a lifetime mastering it. #css adactio.com/journal/12571
I could not agree more: CSS is simple, but not easy. adactio.com/journal/12571
« I think that they would be less frustrated if they would accept that CSS is not easy. Simple, yes, but not easy. » adactio.com/journal/12571
RealCSSTricks: RT beep: “The way to deal with that [learning curve] is not to hammer [CSS] into a different shap… adactio.com/journal/12571
Yeah. In fact, fuck yeah. adactio.com/journal/12571
“They’ve heard [#CSS is] simple, so they assume it’s easy. But then when they try… They say it’s broken.” —@adactio adactio.com/journal/12571
Learning #CSS is “simple” but no-one said it was “easy”. So some smarty pants think it’s “broken”…adactio.com/journal/12571
“CSS: Simple, yes, but not easy.” 📒adactio.com/journal/12571
RT pau4o “RT beep: “The way to deal with that [learning curve] is not to hammer [CSS] into a different shape, but … adactio.com/journal/12571”
Yes. This. From @adactio: “CSS” adactio.com/journal/12571
CSS가 간단하긴 하지만 쉽지 않다는 것을 받아들여라 “CSS” adactio.com/journal/12571
Hear, hear! Jeremy @adactio once again articulates important truth about the nature of the web — this time CSS. adactio.com/journal/12571
“Using CSS at scale has a learning curve, just like any powerful technology.”adactio.com/journal/12571
CSS, don’t mistake simple for easy by @adactio adactio.com/journal/12571
“Que sea simple no quiere decir que sea fácil” – Buena reflexión de @adactio sobre CSS → adactio.com/journal/12571
Don’t mistake ‘simple’ for ‘easy’. Powerful piece by @adactio on mastering #CSS: adactio.com/journal/12571
CSS by Jeremy Keith 2017-07-18adactio.com/journal/12571#f2etw 「Simple, yes, but not easy.」 作者在 CSS Day 後的想法: 你能一天內快速地理解基本結構,但也可以花一輩子去掌握細節
CSS is simple, but not easy! Important consideration by @adactio – adactio.com/journal/12571
Some truth by @adactio on why CSS is “simple”, but not “easy”. adactio.com/journal/12571
#CSS is simple, not easy. “…when they [devs] try to use it, it doesn’t work. It must be the fault of the language…” adactio.com/journal/12571
sometimes the same devs that call CSS “not real programming” can’t do it properly themselves. simple !== easy. adactio.com/journal/12571
“CSS is simple. Mistaking ‘simple’ for ‘easy’ will only lead to heartache.” adactio.com/journal/12571
Is CSS easy? by @adactio #css adactio.com/journal/12571
“CSS is simple, not easy”, says @adactio adactio.com/journal/12571
CSS is simple, but it’s not easy. 🙌adactio.com/journal/12571
CSS is not easy, that’s what makes it fun :) adactio.com/journal/12571
CSS. I too, love CSS. adactio.com/journal/12571
. @adactio nails it. [CSS is] Simple, yes, but not easy. adactio.com/journal/12571
Great article with great quote, “CSS is simple, yes, but not easy” by @adactio adactio.com/journal/12571 #css #dev #developer #ux #adactio
It is simple in the sense of “not complex”, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. #CSS adactio.com/journal/12571
@adactio accurately describes how I think most veteran front-end devs feel about CSS: adactio.com/journal/12571
CSS is simple, but not easy. adactio.com/journal/12571
Well said: adactio.com/journal/12571
It’s not CSS that’s confounding, but its convoluted implementation by frustrated devs who are defiant in disrespect. adactio.com/journal/12571
CSS - It is simple in the sense of “not complex”, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. adactio.com/journal/12571
A dev’s degree of CSS comprehension is inversely proportional to their eagerness to blame it rather than themselves. adactio.com/journal/12571
“CSS” by @adactio adactio.com/journal/12571
“The way to deal with that is not to hammer the technology into a different shape, but to get to know it.” #css adactio.com/journal/12571
CSS is simple, but that’s not the same as easy. Some smart thoughts from @adactio: adactio.com/journal/12571
Simple does not equal easy, @adactio explains the learning curve in CSS. adactio.com/journal/12571
“ Simple, yes, but not easy. Using CSS at scale has a learning curve, just like any powerful technology.” adactio.com/journal/12571 #CSS
見てる “Simple, yes, but not easy.” / Adactio: Journal—CSS adactio.com/journal/12571
Adactio: Journal—CSS adactio.com/journal/12571
“I can’t help but think that they would be less frustrated if they would accept that CSS is not easy.” adactio.com/journal/12571
Een mooie blog over #css en de #taal van dit programma adactio.com/journal/12571
I really like the way @adactio makes the distinction between “simple” and “easy” here: adactio.com/journal/12571
CSS adactio.com/journal/12571 via @Instapaper
“Using CSS at scale has a learning curve, just like any powerful technology.” adactio.com/journal/12571
“… not to hammer the technology into a different shape, but to get to know it, understand it, and respect it.”adactio.com/journal/12571
“Simple” does not necessarily mean “Easy”@Adactio #CSSadactio.com/journal/12571
“CSS is not easy. Simple, yes, but not easy.” adactio.com/journal/12571?…
this means everything to me. @adactio on #CSSadactio.com/journal/12571
“The way to deal with that [learning curve] is not to hammer [CSS] into a different shape, but to get to know it.” adactio.com/journal/12571
CSSbuff.ly/2v6YtjV via @adactio #css
I love this from @adactio about #CSS and not confusing “simple” with “easy”: adactio.com/journal/12571
“[…] CSS is not easy. Simple, yes, but not easy. […G]et to know it, understand it, and respect it.” adactio.com/journal/12571
agree: adactio.com/journal/12571
“Mistaking ‘simple’ for ‘easy’ will only lead to heartache.” adactio.com/journal/12571 #css
CSS: Mistaking “simple” for “easy” will only lead to heartache. adactio.com/journal/12571
Adactio: Journal—CSS adactio.com/journal/12571 #CSS
Adactio: Journal—CSS adactio.com/journal/12571 #CSS
I still feel that’s very true: “Simple, yes, but not easy.” @adactio about CSS. adactio.com/journal/12571
.@adactioJournal puts it very well: #CSS is simple, but it sure as hell isn’t easy. ow.ly/4kdv30e1jXf #webdev
Nice article about CSS being simple but not an easy language adactio.com/journal/12571
CSS is simple, but not easy. Some truth by @adactio adactio.com/journal/12571
Short post where Jeremy (@adactio) once again articulates it very well — this time about CSS. adactio.com/journal/12571
CSS: “Mistaking “simple” for “easy” will only lead to heartache.” – @adactio, d.joern.im/EjPuyO
“CSS is simple but not easy” great article by @adactio adactio.com/journal/12571
Couldn’t agree more… don’t mistake CSS as easy, just because it’s simple. adactio.com/journal/12571
“CSS: Simple, yes, but not easy.”adactio.com/journal/12571
Short post where Jeremy (@adactio) once again articulates it very well — this time about CSS. https://adactio.com/journal/12571
Funny, @adactio ‘s adactio.com/journal/12571 reminds me of the DOM Scripting TF. Same remarks about a “simple” language, then time passed :)
…because they are smart, and this is supposed to be easy. They blame the language. They say it’s broken. #CSS adactio.com/journal/12571
Like chess, the basics of CSS can be grasped in a day, but you can spend a lifetime trying to master the details adactio.com/journal/12571
CSS is simple but not easy. The conflation of these attributes may be the reason people try to “fix” CSS. adactio.com/journal/12571
#CSS truth from @adactio : ‘Mistaking “simple” for “easy” will only lead to heartache.’ 💔 adactio.com/journal/12571
“Que sea simple no quiere decir que sea fácil” – Buena reflexión de @adactio sobre CSS
↳ 19/07/2017 09:07Adactio: Journal—CSS adactio.com/journal/12571