In Case You Missed It: The Most Popular DEV Posts from the Past Week (May 22 - May 28, 2017)
Tags: top7
Published: 2017-05-30 16:35:40

---
title: "In Case You Missed It: The Most Popular DEV Posts from the Past Week (May 22 - May 28, 2017)"
published: true
description: A round up of the most-read and most-loved contributions from the community this past week.
tags: icymi
cover_image: https://thepracticaldev.s3.amazonaws.com/i/2sfosi733qe5kvlkpch5.png
---

_Every week we will round up some of the last week's top posts, comments, and tweets. If you have any feedback, please leave a comment._ â¤ï¸

# Books That Taught Me How to Code
<img src = "https://media0.giphy.com/media/toSMxU7Mguxnq/giphy.gif" width = "500">

Bartlomiej Filipek followed up his **Coding Without Google** article with another post describing his method for learning to program.  Though a lot of attention is paid to online coding schools, bootcamps, trial-error-StackOverflow, there's no doubt that a good programming book can serve as an unmatched resource in establishing a foundational understanding.  Bartlomiej shares 7 of his favorites:

{% link https://dev.to/fenbf/7-books-that-taught-me-how-to-code %}

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# Javascript Fears
<img src = "https://media2.giphy.com/media/3o7abrH8o4HMgEAV9e/giphy.gif" width = "500">

Harvey shared his first article on dev.to by describing his fear of Javascript.  It's clearly a topic that others can relate to, as the comment section swelled to over 30 comments of commiseration and advice.  Every day it can feel like there's another framework that you **need to know**, and it can certainly be intimidating.

{% link https://dev.to/escobardrake/i-am-scared-of-javascript %}

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# Am I becoming too much of a generalist?
<img src = "https://media0.giphy.com/media/yqBe2ny9p6j60/giphy.gif" width = "500">

This was a great discussion about the idea of specialization vs generalization in one's career.

{% link https://dev.to/andelahmasila/when-do-you-become-a-jack-of-all-trades-but-a-master-of-none %}

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#Free Hosting
<img src = "https://media2.giphy.com/media/RVVGooHRYL4iI/giphy.gif" width = "500">

Pubs shared some tips related to finding free hosting for lightweight apps.  Plenty of people know about Github Pages / Jekyll, but this is a guide to hosting an app that leverages APIs and backend queries.  It's a fantastic step-by-step guide that doesn't assume a ton of pre-existing knowledge or experience, which makes for an awesome orientation to Herkou.  Seriously, this is a great read for beginners and intermediates alike.

{% link https://dev.to/pubs12/how-to-host-lightweight-apps-for-free %}

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# Builder Design Pattern

Nishan wrote a great article that describes how to use a builder design pattern (as opposed to a constructor) when there are a lot of arguments.  He offers code examples highlighting the implementation using both methods in order to illustrate the advantages of the builder pattern.

This is a terrific example of a dev.to article that succinctly and effectively walks through a specific idea.  It sets the scene, describes the various approaches, and then provides actual code examples to make its point.  Nice job!

{% link https://dev.to/nishparadox/builder-design-pattern %}

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# Should I Stay Or Should I Go?
<img src = "https://media1.giphy.com/media/x6Ayu0NeEo1Ik/giphy.gif" width = "500">

BugFender walks through the *Pros* and *Cons* of Go.  Jordi and Aleix host a "TechDuals" of sorts, as they walk through various aspects of the language and debates its current strengths and weaknesses.  It was great to see such a balanced article featuring different opinions -- all the while sharing valuable knowledge about this growing language.

{% link https://dev.to/bugfenderapp/should-i-go-the-pros-and-cons-of-using-go-programming-language %}

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# "Just"
<img src = "https://media3.giphy.com/media/l1IYesvYY7uFu4pgs/giphy.gif" width = "500">

Terry shares a *Rant* with the punchline:

> I am JUST a Developer

This feeling is in response to the explosion of languages, frameworks, etc., which has created an environment where some are prone to "collecting" skill-sets and qualifications.  Terry makes the point that a Developer should be a quick learner, capable of ramping up quickly to learn a new language and skillset.  So he rejects the titles of back-end, front-end, Java, React, yadda, yadda, and simply embraces the title of being *Just* a Developer. 

{% link https://dev.to/tkeeney/just-a-developer %}

Interestingly, Marcus Blankenship wrote an article last month centered around the same word:

{% link https://dev.to/marcuscreo/the-4-letter-word-word-that-makes-my-blood-boil %}

That article has a much different focus -- that some can be somewhat flippant in using the word "Just" when making broad technical requests -- but it does seem to provide an interesting juxtaposition.

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_That's it for our weekly wrapup! Keep an eye on Dev.to this week for daily content and discussions...and if you miss anything, we'll be sure to recap it next Monday!_