Stop Learning Frameworks

Stop Learning Frameworks” is exactly what I’ve been saying and doing for years.

Technology come and go, but it has a lot in common. Set priorities right. Invest 80% of your learning time in fundamentals. Leave 20% for frameworks, libraries and tools.

After 20 or so years working with technology, it always amazes me how most of the new and cool tech is actually another iteration on something that existed and has been used since forever.

Cloud computing, and even the newest hype of serverless architectures, are just another iteration on the ever-going problem of large and centralized versus small and decentralized (mainframes, PC, terminal servers and thin clients, and on, and on, and on).  NoSQL databases have a very familiar feeling to anyone who have worked with LDAP.  All the modern instant messengers iterate over the same problems (and often solutions) from the ancient protocols – NNTP, email (POP, IMAP, SMTP), IRC, and tools that implemented them for different purposes.  And on, and on it goes.

There isn’t enough time in the world to learn even a fraction of all that technology.  But focusing on the fundamentals helps a lot.  If there was one thing to add, I’d also prioritize open technologies and formats versus proprietary.  Open technologies survive the longest and tend to be reused a lot more.

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