Continued commitment to learning is one way developers can stay at the top of their game throughout their career. We all have our favorite resources (hello, Stack Overflow!) that we turn to time and time again, but sometimes, it’s good to switch it up and check out new material that offers fresh takes on the issues you’re dealing with as a web developer.
Below we’re sharing a curated list for the dev community of the most interesting reads, podcasts and videos that have inspired us recently. Check it out, and then share any resources you’ve found insightful or helpful in the comments.
Keeping in mind that information comes in different forms, this roundup has been divided into 3 categories - blogs, podcasts, and videos.
Blog Posts
These five blogs stood out for their creativity and resourcefulness. Some had amazing advice for developers and some managed to accumulate a lot of information for developers under one title.
1. Engineer to Engineer: Don't Be Afraid to Rock the Boat | Women Who Code
This interview between Elizabeth Funk and Samantha Abbot goes beyond the code. They get in deep about being assertive in the workplace (especially as a woman) and asking for what is deserved.
Samantha Abbot’s story about being a queer and female in a male-dominated industry is full of self-advocation, witty humor, self-affirmation, and dialogue on working in teams. This is a must-read for people anxiously trying to navigate the workplace.
2. Do You Need to Localize Your Website? | A List Apart
This blog is published on a website with a niche for web developers. This piece is extremely useful for those trying to make difficult decisions on website localization. It is a great article for the polyglot web developer who needs to manage marketing, audience, and localization to help make a business successful.
Full of personal anecdotes, there are plenty of tips that a web developer can take into account. For a piece discussing website localization, it was refreshing to read something that questions the need itself before diving into the specifics.
3. The Purposes and Benefits of Cross-Functional Collaboration | .cult by Honeypot
An article that captures the need of having interdisciplinary people work on the same project in the 21st century could not be written at a more opportune time. This piece communicates the benefits of intersectional teamwork in the developer’s world while keeping in mind the real work environment for the developer.
As a developer in a managerial position, this piece will convince you of the need for versatile backgrounds in a developer team and even give you the step-by-step to make it happen. A great read for anyone trying to improve team collaboration in the workplace.
4. So You Want to Use AI: Do You Build, or Do You Buy? | ReadWrite
So You Want to Use AI is an adapted piece from the book “Real World AI.” Author Wilson Pang makes it clear that there is no one solution to problems when it comes to AI. This piece written by the CTO of a Silicon Valley firm was promising to begin with, and as the article progressed, Pang breaks down the process of working with AI in a company.
The questions he poses here make for a proficient tool for any decision-maker. A great resource to check out before making any expensive decisions.
5. Sex Doesn't Sell, GitHub Does | Hacker Noon
If you’ve thought about the courage it takes for people to develop open-source software, this piece is exactly what you’re looking for. Marius, the author of this piece, manages to create an open discussion about the future of OSS and how licensing could very well be the only way for the developing world to continue to grow at big paces. This spins the story of paid software into an optimistic one and challenges people who want to retain free software in a very well thought-out manner.
Link to Article
6. 25 Developer Blogs to Keep You at the Top of Your Game | CometChat Blog
A blog that is a collection of all the best places for developers to find resources is a great resource in itself. Instead of scouring the internet for reliable sources, this article does that for you and gives you a good head-start on your self-growth calendar.
Podcasts
While there are plenty of podcasts out there that discuss coding, a select few manage to discuss solutions. As a problem-solver, knowing what tools you have available, be it in terms of new software, updates, or mental fortitude - these top 5 podcast episodes are a pleasure to listen to.
1. Software Engineering Radio - Episode 456: Tomer Shiran on Data Lakes
This episode from the Software Engineering Radio is a discussion on Data Lakes, a new take on storing and processing data that exceeds beyond the data warehouse. With an industry expert, Tomer, this discussion manages to talk in-depth about the tools one would need to store, access, and analyze data from these lakes.
2. Developer Tea - Changing Work Environments and Availability Bias
This entire podcast series is dedicated to providing clarity, perspective, and purpose to developers - no matter what stage of their career they’re in. During the pandemic, most developers were shifted to a WFH model, and that was followed by a very different workflow. This episode allows the developer to think differently about working from home and make it work for them.
3. Software Daily - Makepath: Geospatial Technology with Brendan Collins
This episode is a great rundown for an invaluable tool in the belt of a developer - working with geospatial libraries. The CEO of Makepath, a firm that helps other people in solving their problems by using geospatial technology talks about how people use it and why it’s so effective. With so much new in the field, their conversation provides specifics for problem-solving using geospatial data and still manages to make it easy to follow.
4. The Changelog - Curl is a full-time job (and turns 23)
This episode talks to developers of Client URL (curl), a project that to a certain degree, makes the internet what it is today. Daniel Stenberg talks about making his passion project into his full-time career and how that took place. The opportunities received and missed along the way and the future of library development shifting from C to Rust. This veteran developer has plenty of insight for everyone.
5. Fragmented: The Software Podcast - 208: Developing Software at Startups with Jason Roberts
The most entertaining of this list, this episode takes us through the struggles of a start-up developer. From almost becoming a billionaire to awkward parties full of developers, this conversation is full of tidbits that make you smile. The conversation is light and is perfect for anyone who wants to listen about the very interesting life of Jason Roberts (the almost-CTO of uber).
YouTube Videos
YouTube is an all-familiar place for developers, after all, free tutorials and code-along for the public are invaluable to anyone learning how to code, or expanding their skillset. While several folks make videos about coding on YouTube, not many can boast the quality and entertainment that the videos on this list provide. The videos in this list go above and beyond just coding, and actually create content that a developer can relate to.
1. The KEY To Thinking Like a Programmer (Fix This Or Keep Struggling)
This video is great for anyone who feels like they’re facing imposter syndrome. For veteran developers, this video will most likely re-assure them of their skills, and for newbie developers, it will give them a strong footing. A well-put video for all kinds of developers.
2. Build a Music Player | Vanilla JavaScript - YouTube
If you’re looking for a side project to do with any extra time you have because of WFH, this video is definitely worth the watch. Traversy Media makes JavaScript look simple and that is a talent in itself. At the end of this video, you’ll build an aesthetically pleasing media player with HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. The final product of this project is so good, it secured a spot in our top 5 tech videos for April.
3. I Built a Trading Bot to let Subscribers Trade my $25,000 on Twitch
This video is both chaotic and entertaining at the same time. For someone who wants to get ‘close’ to their subscribers, Joma really invested a lot of money to do it. A share trading bot that runs through twitch commands may seem like an eccentric project, but before you judge it, watch it for yourself.
4. Create a Fantastic BOUNCY Line with SVG & JS!
A video that explains how to code and design a bouncy line is perfect for anyone who wants to wet their hands with some robust design principles and obscure designing. Learning to use SVG and JS together is an added bonus to this very fun project that makes it a must-watch.
5. The Most Productive Developers Of All Time
A video that talks about 4 people who changed the world and made billions with their keyboard? Sign me up! As a developer wanting to improve productivity and code more every day, this video will inspire you to do more and tell you some intriguing facts along the way.
6. How to Create a Chat App with React in 30 Mins
With almost every company wanting to add text, voice or video calling in their apps, communication tech is at its peak right now. Developer Eddie Jaoude walks us through how to create chat in React using CometChat's React Chat UI Kit.
It's insanely simple to build, allows for some really cool customization, comes with loads of features right out of the box, and only takes about 30 minutes to implement.
What developer resources are you digging right now? Share in comments below!
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