CSS: Styling the Web & Learning Through Content w/ Kevin Powell

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Show Notes

The Status of CSS

• Vanilla CSS vs SASS vs TailwindCSS vs [probably some other tool here]
  • In 2024, what should people be learning first? 
  • Once they’re experienced with whatever they chose first, should they move on to another tool, or master the tool they’re on?
• CSS naming conventions were very popular from roughly 2015-2018 (ie BEM) aimed at making CSS code more readable and maintainable. In 2024, they seem mostly killed off by components in frameworks like Svelte where you can use localized/isolated bits of CSS that are context-sensitive already (ie a .title class in a content box component)
  • In your opinion, what's the status of CSS naming conventions like BEM in 2024 and into the future?
• Browser Support on new and “fringe CSS” features/properties
  • Once support starts catching on for a lesser supported CSS feature when do you think it’s safe for developers to start using it in production? 

Content Absorption

• It’s easy to get bogged down watching learning content and feeling productive without ever actually producing anything (tutorial hell)
  • To break this cycle, what do you recommend people do when watching coding tutorials/guides on YouTube? Try out what they’ve learned right away? Take notes? Watch a collection of videos then stop at a hard limit?
• Content creators create a variety of content across many topics, not necessarily focused on what you’re learning at that time (each creator is different, making varying content)
  • If you’re learning something new (ie React) should you focus your content absorption on that one topic, or watch the scattering of content that is released by your favorite creators?
• Watching individual topic tutorials and playing with related code is much different than creating and working on a project
  • Do you have any tips for developers looking to move from learning concepts to creating their first project(s)? Any project management pitfalls to avoid?

Project Work

• Working on your own projects (personal or professional)
  • What technologies do you use?
  • What type of workflow do you have? (ie team work, solo, CI/CD)

Want More?

Read more about the topics covered in this episode in our in-depth companion article.

Kevin's Links

• YouTube Channel (link)
• Official Website (link)
• Weekly Newsletter (link)

Links

• ‍Michael LaRocca
  • Author of the Self-Taught the X Generation blog, at selftaughttxg.com