Next week is one of the most fun or hated days of the year (depending on who you ask)
Tags: discuss, resources, backend, web
Published: 2021-03-25 14:25:55

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title: Next week is one of the most fun or hated days of the year (depending on who you ask)
published: true
description: 
tags: #discuss #resources #backend #web 
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---

Next week is one of the most fun or hated days of the year (depending on who you ask) - April's Fools! That's April 1st in case you forgot because the days have blended too much during pandemic. Here are [some pranks](https://bestlifeonline.com/harmless-april-fools-pranks/) you can plan even if you're trying to keep social distance. Got any memorable dev-related pranks to share? Let us know in the comments.

## Dev Resources & Articles

[Exercism.](https://exercism.io/) Level up your programming skills with 3,450 exercises across 52 languages, and insightful discussion with a dedicated team of welcoming mentors - 100% free. [EXERCISM]

[Five backend books you should read in 2021.](https://developereconomics.com/blog/five-backend-books-you-should-read-in-2021) Powering up your backend knowledge? Our friends at Packt have shared five backend books you should read in 2021. [DEVELOPERECONOMICS]

[23 alternative career paths that software developers can grow into.](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/alternative-career-paths/) This post will go through many of the career paths available to software developers, especially recent bootcamp graduates. Karl Hughes explains what each job does, how you can get your foot in the door, and the long-term prospects. [FREECODECAMP]

[Replit.](https://replit.com/) Free, collaborative, in-browser IDE to code in 50+ languages — without spending a second on setup. [REPLIT]

[Linus Torvalds on how AMD and Intel are changing how processor interrupts are handled.](https://www.zdnet.com/article/linus-torvalds-on-how-amd-and-intel-are-changing-how-processor-interrupts-are-handled/) AMD and Intel recently started changing how the x86 chip architecture will handle exceptions. Linus Torvalds, in turn, gave his take on their new approach for forthcoming generations of CPUs. [ZDNET]

[Microsoft is auto-installing the Windows 10 WebView2 Runtime.](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-is-auto-installing-the-windows-10-webview2-runtime/) Microsoft is automatically installing the WebView2 runtime on Windows 10 machines to support upcoming versions of the Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Office applications. Microsoft's WebView2 allows developers to embed and render web content directly in their native applications, including JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. The WebView2 control is built upon Microsoft's new Chromium-based Edge browser. [BLEEPINGCOMPUTER]

[Developers: These botched software rollouts are costing businesses billions.](https://www.techrepublic.com/index.php/category/10250/4/index.php/article/developers-these-botched-software-rollouts-are-costing-businesses-billions/) Turns out we're not very good at balancing speed and quality – so says a report from the Consortium for Information and Software Security. [TECHREPUBLIC]

[Zoom Escaper lets you sabotage your own meetings with audio problems, crying babies, and more.](https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/15/22331744/zoom-escaper-sabotage-meetings-fake-audio-problems) ‘Oh, is my connection bad? I’m so sorry, I’ll just drop out and fix it’ [THEVERGE]

[What does a database administrator actually do?](https://www.brentozar.com/archive/2021/03/what-does-a-database-administrator-actually-do/) Brent Ozar gets retrospective and future-looking on the 20th anniversary of his website. [BRENTOZAR]

[Awesome Git aliases.](https://davidwalsh.name/awesome-git-aliases) What if you could customise Git with your own commands, making it do anything you can imagine? [DAVIDWALSH]

[How I recovered from my burnout.](https://www.azurebarry.com/burnout/) In 2015, Barry Luijbregts had burnout consisting of panic attacks, depression, exhaustion, and bowel problems. Learn how he recovered. [AZUREBARRY]

[How to get a job in Google India?](https://www.thecrazyprogrammer.com/2021/03/how-to-get-a-job-in-google-india.html) Chirag Manghnani takes you on the complete roller-coaster ride of why you should get a job at Google, perks, and benefits, and how to land a job there. [THECRAZYPROGRAMMER]

[A complete guide to accessible front-end components.](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2021/03/complete-guide-accessible-front-end-components/) This article looks into reliable accessible components: from tabs and tables to toggles and tooltips. [SMASHING.MAGAZINE]

[Visual Studio code extensions to enhance productivity in 2021.](https://codeburst.io/visual-studio-code-extensions-to-enhance-productivity-in-2021-5418c688c19f) Nahrin Jalal shares the extensions she uses on a daily basis. [CODEBURST]

[Lazy loading in web applications: JS, Angular, and React.](https://dzone.com/articles/lazy-loading-in-web-applications-js-angular-and-re) Improve the performance of your applications and deliver content users actually need, just in time. [DZONE]

Like what you see? Sign up to our biweekly [newsletter. ](https://content.developereconomics.com/developer-economics-newsletter-signup-form)

## Industry News

[Tech workers says their salaries have increased. But so have their mental health concerns.](https://www.techrepublic.com/article/tech-workers-says-their-salaries-have-increased-but-so-have-their-mental-health-concerns/) Tech salaries may have risen for some, but the extra workloads faced by IT professionals during the pandemic have driven mental health concerns to a new high, according to new data. [TECHREPUBLIC]

[Linus Torvalds on where Rust will fit into Linux.](https://www.zdnet.com/article/linus-torvalds-on-where-rust-will-fit-into-linux/) Slowly but surely the Rust language is making its way into Linux. ZDNet talked with Linus Torvalds and Greg Kroah-Hartman about where they see Rust and Linux working together. [ZDNET]

[A safer default for navigation: HTTPS.](https://blog.chromium.org/2021/03/a-safer-default-for-navigation-https.html) Starting in version 90, Chrome’s address bar will use https:// by default, improving privacy and even loading speed for users visiting websites that support HTTPS. Chrome users who navigate to websites by manually typing a URL often don’t include “http://” or “https://”. [BLOG.CHROMIUM]

[Firefox 87.0 is here.](https://www.neowin.net/news/firefox-870/) They've greatly simplified the Web Developer menu, developers can now use the Page Inspector to simulate prefers-color-scheme media queries, without having to change the operating system to light or dark mode and Page Inspector can be used to toggle the :target pseudo-class for the currently selected element in addition to the pseudo-classes that were previously supported: :hover, :active and :focus, :focus-within, :focus-visible, and :visited. [NEOWIN]

[Crystal programming language reaches 1.0.](https://sdtimes.com/softwaredev/crystal-programming-language-reaches-1-0/) Crystal is a language that has syntax similar to Ruby, is statically type-checked without the need for specifying the type of variables or method parameters, is able to call C code and more. [SDTIMES]

[Windows 10 is getting new File Explorer icons as part of a visual overhaul.](https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/24/22348639/microsoft-windows-10-file-explorer-new-icons-system-update) “Several changes, such as the orientation of the folder icons and the default file type icons, have been made for greater consistency across Microsoft products that show files,” says Amanda Langowski, Microsoft’s Windows Insider chief. “Notably, the top-level user folders such as Desktop, Documents, Downloads, and Pictures have a new design that should make it a little easier to tell them apart at a glance.” [THEVERGE]

[Microsoft in talks with Discord over $10 billion-plus acquisition: report.](https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/22/22345792/microsoft-discord-acquisition-report-10-billion) Microsoft is in discussions with Discord to acquire the gaming-focused chat software for more than $10 billion, according to sources talking to Bloomberg. Xbox chief Phil Spencer is said to be talking to Discord about the potential deal.. [THEVERGE]

[Mac OS X turns 20: Why it’s Apple’s most important software yet.](https://www.cultofmac.com/738104/mac-os-x-turns-20-most-important-software-in-apple-history/) OS X, the most important piece of software in Apple history, has turned 20. Going on sale in its full, public version on March 24, 2001, Mac OS X 10.0 — code-named Cheetah, the first of many cat-themed names — transformed Apple’s operating system forever. It brought user interface enhancements that persist to this day, as well as technological advances that form the backbone of Apple’s current operating systems. [CULTTOFMAC]