Error Code: Coffee

What the heck happened to CSS-Tricks? Chris Coyier wrote a blog post detailing some of the behind the scene happenings. What was his motivation for selling the CSS-Tricks website? Why is it not being updated anymore?

Also, is this a trend that's happening across the internet? Why are there community-driven and free resource websites dying out left and right? What to do with the news of tech companies firing people? Is it all about the Money?🤑

Let's dive into the drama!

In this episode we discuss how the concept of MVP (Minimum Viable Product) has changed over the course of our careers.

• Why was it so popular back in the day (for example: Airbnb)?
• When does the MVP concept work, and when does it fail?
• What are the steps for the modern way of utilizing the MVP concept?

Join us in this in-depth conversation about a simple concept that allowed startups to become giants.

Missing the old style of podcast episodes where we ramble a bunch about technical stuff? Well, here's another!

We talk about some of the new CSS features that were standardized in 2023. These features can be a big help in your everyday CSS writing!

1. Container queries: what are they and how are they different than regular media queries?
2. New viewport units: s- d- l- prefixes for your vw or vh units. How do these differ from our regular vw and vh units? Also, no more jumping interfaces when scrolling on mobile!?
3. Nesting in native CSS!? What does the syntax look like? Is SCSS now obsolete? (no, no it's not)
4. Gap property for flexbox: a small change that prevents a lot of annoying side effects of having margin or padding for spacing child elements.
5. Individual transform properties! No more "transform: translateX(50%) rotate(30deg) scale(1.2);" but now each property gets its own name, like: "translate: 50% 0; rotate: 30deg; scale: 1.2;". What does this mean for transitions? Are there any gotchas?
6. The new ":has()" selector is here! What does it do and is it true you can select the parent of an element?

All this and more in this old school episode of ECC!

In the new season we start things off with a spicy topic: development caution. Tim Cain (game dev and director, known for Fallout 1 & 2, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines and The Outer Worlds) brought this topic up in a video/vlog where he highlights some of his discoveries in the office. The developers he worked with seemed extremely cautious of their estimates and the amount of effort they want to put in the project. Why are developers so cautious? Is this a new thing that's been happening? Is Tim Cain just a boomer?

We delve into this topic with our own perspective and we give a short overview of how game development (companies) changed since the 90's.

Tim Cain's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMVQ30c7TcA

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Who are we?

Watch this episode on YouTube: [COMING SOON]

We're back with part 2 of "Developer Horror Stories," and this time, we're diving into the personal nightmares that will send shivers down any developer's spine. Join us for tales from the coding trenches:

• Unconventional Design: Imagine receiving design materials in software like PowerPoint or a PDF. In Gideon's chilling experience, a client's refusal to invest in design software led to a nightmare scenario. He was tasked with creating a website and styling based on copied screenshots in a PowerPoint file.

• Survey Software Meltdown: A large-scale survey project with 276 thousand respondents took a horrifying turn when data saving went awry. The survey software, lovingly built in-house, started storing responses in the wrong database rows. Fortunately, daily database backups provided a glimmer of hope. But what followed was a two-day marathon of manually splitting and merging SQL dumps with hundreds of thousands of records.

• Interview from Hell: Sometimes, the scariest experiences happen outside the code. Gideon's quest for a permanent role in Amsterdam turned into a surreal journey. From unanswered doorbells to a cafeteria filled with unresponsive strangers, the odyssey took an eerie turn. Locked in a meeting room for nearly an hour past the scheduled time, this developer's patience reached its breaking point. Find out how the story ends in this unforgettable tale of a nightmarish job interview.

Today's podcast takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions through our coding career's darkest moments.

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Who are we?

Watch this episode on YouTube: [COMING SOON]

In this spine-tingling episode we delve into the darkest corners of the developer world. Join us as we unravel the hair-raising anecdotes of software development gone awry, featuring:

• The chilling story of a release manager who held the keys to service account passwords in the most precarious manner, buried beneath a mountain of sticky notes, without any semblance of password management.
• A cautionary tale of a colleague who, with every minor bug fix, embarked on epic code refactoring missions, armed with arcane solutions and the dreaded Regex. His hostile response to criticism lingers like a ghost in the codebase.
• And many more spooky stories! 👻

Prepare to be spooked and entertained by this chilling episode.

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Who are we?

Watch this episode on YouTube: [COMING SOON]

We continue our journey through optimization land in part 2 of this topic! We focus on the categories "Accessibility", "Best Practices", "SEO" and tell you how to fine-tune your web project with the help of Lighthouse. Tune in and get ready to take your website's performance to the next level!

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Who are we?

Watch this episode on YouTube: [COMING SOON]

Today, we enter the world of web performance optimization as we explore the elusive goal of achieving a perfect 100% Lighthouse score. We (self proclaimed experts) uncover the intricacies of Lighthouse, the web performance testing tool by Google, and discuss practical strategies, tips, and best practices to boost your website's performance. From optimizing images and code to leveraging caching and minimizing render-blocking resources, join us on a journey to unlock the secrets of a blazing-fast website and understand why a perfect Lighthouse score is more than just a number—it's the key to a better user experience and improved search engine rankings.

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Who are we?

Watch this episode on YouTube: [COMING SOON]

In this eye-opening episode, we delve deep into the often-misunderstood world of Scrum and Agile methodologies. Join us as we explore some common misconceptions and pitfalls that teams encounter when implementing Scrum and Agile, and how these issues can impact the success of your projects (solutions included).

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Who are we?

Watch this episode on YouTube: [COMING SOON]

In this episode we act as two nerdy fortune tellers who try to predict the future of the World Wide Web!

• How the web dev became about building web apps instead of web sites.
• With all apps slowly becoming web apps, is the future of computers just a glorified browser?
• Why are web apps getting "native like" clients outside the browser?
• Is the future of the web even more porn?
• About AI and chatbots, will they evolve to be more conversational and natural?
• What is meant with "the edge"? What does it mean if an app is hosted "on the edge" vs. in the cloud?

Join us in this thought-provoking discussion, as we delve into several captivating topics that are shaping the digital landscape.

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Who are we?

Watch this episode on YouTube: [COMING SOON]

From "Code smell" to "Alignment" and "Deliverables," we'll navigate the intriguing language used in web development and work environments. Get ready to take flight with "Coming to you in the air," discover the meaning behind "Aanvliegen" as we delve into the concept of "to fly in." Have you ever heard of "Rubber ducking"? Brace yourself as we dive into phrases like "BILA," "Doorpakken," and "Klap op geven." We'll explain why sometimes it's necessary to "Aftimmeren" with a hammer and force. Ever wondered about "Peeing over it"? We've got you covered. Plus, we'll explore phrases like "Lift it over the weekend," "Throw it over the fence," and "Shooting at something." Don't miss out on discovering the meaning of "Meeting inschieten" and the amusing expression "Een ei over leggen." Lastly, we'll shed light on the importance of "Waarde leveren" and the concept of being "In zee waren" — to be together at sea. Tune in for a captivating episode filled with intriguing jargon and a deep dive into the language that shapes the web dev and workspace culture in the Netherlands.

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Who are we?

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dl4wbjtH6V0

In this captivating podcast episode, we delve into the intriguing world of the Dutch. Join us as we uncover and explore the unique customs, traditions, and behaviors that make the Netherlands truly one-of-a-kind. Things we talk about:

• We cycle everywhere (and without bike helmets)
• We ignore emergency alarms (if it’s on the first Monday of the month)
• Use the Dutch word ‘dus’ for everything
• Congratulate a person for someone else's birthday
• Complaining about the weather
• Telling you how much they paid for something
• Mashing food together
• Celebrate birthday by sitting in a circle with tea/coffee and cake
• Weird toilets
• Birthday calendars in the bathroom
• Dutch (bad) hospitality
• Impatient in a line or when entering the train
• Burping, farting, nose picking
• Always make appointments when visiting friends
• We talk about the weather a lot
• A lot of times way too direct

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Who are we?

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gzPHDoaLnCI

In this episode, we delve into the uproar caused by Reddit and Twitter as they introduce exorbitantly high costs for their APIs. The sudden shift has ignited outrage within communities, leading to a wave of app abandonment as third-party developers find themselves unable to afford the new fees. Join us as we explore the implications of this controversial move and its impact on the online landscape. Are there alternatives and what are they?

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Who are we?

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/INySBk_lkZc

We start off the episode with a detour: Airplane drinks and in-flight duty-free shopping. What is our favourite beverage while flying high in the sky? And what is up with the crap they sell during the flight?

After that topic, we transfer to the main topic of the episode: Why web dev is still a pain in 2023. How come we haven't figured out a single good way to develop on the web? Why are there so many options for choosing a stack? And what about other types of development? Don't miss out on this episode!

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Who are we?

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LTkSDo9MGh8

In this episode we discuss the methods we have to determine the answer for “Is the feature going to be delivered on time?”.

We used to base our answers on careful considerations and assessment of various factors, but why can that lead to incorrect estimations? Is there even a guarantee you can give for the delivery date of projects? What does SCRUM/Agile do when used as the methodology for the project? Join us today for all this and some bad jokes in between!

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Who are we?

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8xf6ORq-wlM

What are our favourite movies? One of Murtada's favourite movies is Jurassic Park (1993). Is it just nostalgia peeking its head around the corner, or is it actually the well designed animatronics of the velociraptors? We'll dive into what was great about the movie, but also highlight the couple of weird/bad things about it. Does the movie still hold up, and do we recommend it? Join us on our adventure down memory lane through Jurassic Park.

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Who are we?

Number four of the "Reddit web dev Q&A" series. We answer some more questions from fellow web developers and enthusiasts on Reddit. From front-end development to back-end coding, no question is off-limits.

• When to use Cookies vs LocalStorage?
• What are some theoretical parts of CS I should learn for a career in webdev?
• What do you listen to while coding?

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Who are we?

In this episode of "Reddit web dev Q&A," we dive yet again into the depths of the internet's popular forum, Reddit, to answer questions from fellow web developers and enthusiasts. From front-end development to back-end coding, no question is off-limits.

• How much do you charge for a website? How do you determine the value/cost of a web project?
• What do I need to get started becoming a web developer?
• Are bootcamps worth it at all?

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Who are we?

In this beautiful episode we talk about what makes a good job good (for us) and what you should be looking out for when applying for a new job. We give some great tips and advice, so strap your ears tight and join us in this ride around the mystical land of work and what makes you happy!

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Who are we?

This episode we take random web dev related questions, discuss and attempt to answer them to our best abilities.

• Should you split your component library into multiple different npm packages?
• How to deal with being rejected in an awkward way for a job application
• Can you get sued for copying text from another resource and publishing it on your site?
• Is a book about web dev that's over 10 years old still relevant?
• Java or Node.js for your new project?
• What to do about insufficient contrast ratios in the colour of your links?
• Are web developers still in high demand?

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Who are we?

Junior, Medior, Senior. But what's next? In this episode we give an overview of common career paths after promoting from a senior dev position to something "else". What paths are available, and why is it only manager roles? What options do you have if you want to stay as an "individual contributor" instead of taking a managerial role? Tune in to listen to us stumble over our words trying to put it all together.

In this episode, we take an instant detour to robot-land 🤖. What are our opinions about robots and why do robots tend to look like humans?

We discuss and handle the answers on our Q&As on our previous episodes about mismanagement and hybrid working.

We also dive into the topic of "mobile-first" design. What is it and why is it (mis)used? How did we use to design and develop website for mobile devices back in the day? We also share our insights on designing and developing responsive web pages that adapt to various screen sizes and device types. --------------------

Who are we?

This is the second part of a two parter about mismanagement of employees and what we've experienced in the past. We talk about balancing the correct amount of work and how to prevent burn-out, funneling communication from clients through a single source and working from home, hybrid or whatever your employer thinks is the best. Join us in the epic conclusion of: How to mismanage employees!

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Who are we?

As a (web) designer, you not only have to face the daily struggle of seeing the ugliness all around you. You also have to deal with people who have to implement your design into the final product. How do you deal with this? And what do you do when it gets too much? Let us enlighten and inspire you in today’s episode!

We're back from the dead and filled with zombie rage and a hunger for brains. We’re dying to let you know about the developments in our lives. What does it cost to renew a company’s technological infrastructure? And how should companies deal with privacy? Time to put the pedal to the metal and pass some gas! Pffffrrrrt!

The best news about E3, gaming and other nerdy things straight to you from your podcatcher of choice! We discuss the E3 main stage event, our experience and thoughts about Cloud Gaming™ and how the gaming industry is feeling stale and innovation is slow in the past few years.

Getting supported as an open-source developer has always been tricky. Your project and your code is located on GitHub or somewhere similar, but your donate button is on your personal website. GitHub now introduces a sponsor button for people and projects! How does it work?

Ever needed to have an ellipsis show up on the 3rd line of your paragraph? With just CSS it’s actually impossible — until now! Multi-line truncate (temporary name) will be an easy solution for this design problem.

Do you have a hard time thinking of CSS class names? Why not just use a utility-first CSS framework like Tailwind.css? We talk about why it’s so counter-intuitive as avid users of BEM naming. But also why it can benefit some people who aren’t dependent on class names at all.

It’s 2019. Current year. How do you style your elements? When you’re using a framework, you’ll have to dig through a maze of JSX and other unholy combinations of code to squat down with your sad and pathetic non-classed selectors. Do you hide down in the crypts or do you go out and die with honor and dignity? I don't know. Web components.

Working in an office can be tough, but how do you get work done when working from home? We dive into the nitty-gritty of daily life as a developer who works from home. What are the benefits of working from home? And what are the pitfalls? How do your days look like, and what problems do you face? Join us in this episode of ECC!

The end of the world is here. New laws have passed and will change how we use the internet by drastically limiting your freedom of expression. 

Article 11 basically says “**** you, this is MY news article”. While article 13 forces big public websites like YouTube, Imgur and Facebook to use a filter to check whether the uploaded files are infringing on copyrights in any way.

Who’s benefiting from these new laws, and what is going to happen to us, the average internet meme lords? More about that right here.

2DEVS is a new video series that we’re working on. We describe the premise, the challenge and the difficulties of the first episode. We also dive into the concept of the show: why it’s hard to develop things in a short amount of time. Also, if time equals effort, then does effort define the direction we’re heading? Are we in control of the future as developers? Let’s talk about it.

Chrome is undergoing some changes. Dark mode is finally here, specially for you, night owls. Also there’s a lot of under-the-hood stuff that might change the way we use websites, like installable Progressive Web Apps. We think it’s for the better, mostly for the developers, but also for the average user. Let’s find out what’s changed and how to use the new features together!