Dev Wells
@wlls.dev
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
Principal Eng @ Capital Rx -- focused on frontend
Principal Eng @ Capital Rx -- focused on frontend
wlls.dev/blog/on-tail...
Every so often I get into a debate on tailwind (mostly yakshaving, IMO).
It goes back and forth, usually with people speaking past each other. I finally sat down and put my experience into words on why I like tailwind (and where I don't).
Every so often I get into a debate on tailwind (mostly yakshaving, IMO).
It goes back and forth, usually with people speaking past each other. I finally sat down and put my experience into words on why I like tailwind (and where I don't).
wlls.dev
Software engineer, tinkerer, writer.
wlls.dev
November 26, 2025 at 9:58 PM
wlls.dev/blog/on-tail...
Every so often I get into a debate on tailwind (mostly yakshaving, IMO).
It goes back and forth, usually with people speaking past each other. I finally sat down and put my experience into words on why I like tailwind (and where I don't).
Every so often I get into a debate on tailwind (mostly yakshaving, IMO).
It goes back and forth, usually with people speaking past each other. I finally sat down and put my experience into words on why I like tailwind (and where I don't).
Reposted by Dev Wells
Frontend is failing. 75% of devices with browsers are smartphones, but not even half of sites pass Core Web Vitals on them. Why not? Too much JavaScript, added to indulge SPA fantasies the data is falsifying in real time:
infrequently.org/2025/11/perf...
infrequently.org/2025/11/perf...
The Performance Inequality Gap, 2026 - Infrequently Noted
Embedded in this year's network and device estimates is hopeful news about the trajectory of devices and networks. It has never been easier to deliver pages quickly, but we are not collectively…
infrequently.org
November 25, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Frontend is failing. 75% of devices with browsers are smartphones, but not even half of sites pass Core Web Vitals on them. Why not? Too much JavaScript, added to indulge SPA fantasies the data is falsifying in real time:
infrequently.org/2025/11/perf...
infrequently.org/2025/11/perf...
Gleam seems like a much softer entrypoint into the BEAM than Elixir or Erlang for frontend engineers more used to Typescript/C-derived languages.
Has anyone made a component/JSX-like templating framework for it? Lustre is elm-y, which I like but is likely foreign to the average React dev.
Has anyone made a component/JSX-like templating framework for it? Lustre is elm-y, which I like but is likely foreign to the average React dev.
November 16, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Gleam seems like a much softer entrypoint into the BEAM than Elixir or Erlang for frontend engineers more used to Typescript/C-derived languages.
Has anyone made a component/JSX-like templating framework for it? Lustre is elm-y, which I like but is likely foreign to the average React dev.
Has anyone made a component/JSX-like templating framework for it? Lustre is elm-y, which I like but is likely foreign to the average React dev.
Reposted by Dev Wells
A couple of weeks ago at @perfnow.nl I gave a talk called "Fine-grained everything". It's about @svelte.dev (obviously), and the new frontiers of framework-land, but it's also about some stubborn misconceptions in web performance circles
Gift link: conffab.com/presentation...
Gift link: conffab.com/presentation...
Fine-grained everything
<p>Modern frameworks like Svelte are fast thanks to signal‑based fine‑grained reactivity, but performance is more than 60fps. This talk covers new approaches to build fast, reliable, data‑efficient ap...
conffab.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:03 PM
A couple of weeks ago at @perfnow.nl I gave a talk called "Fine-grained everything". It's about @svelte.dev (obviously), and the new frontiers of framework-land, but it's also about some stubborn misconceptions in web performance circles
Gift link: conffab.com/presentation...
Gift link: conffab.com/presentation...
Some reflections on emergent technology discourse: wlls.dev/blog/rethink...
How can we have less polarizing discussions on new technologies/ideas in software? So often it seems we speak past each other, often oversimplifying problems in order to rep "our camp".
How can we have less polarizing discussions on new technologies/ideas in software? So often it seems we speak past each other, often oversimplifying problems in order to rep "our camp".
wlls.dev
Software engineer, tinkerer, writer.
wlls.dev
November 14, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Some reflections on emergent technology discourse: wlls.dev/blog/rethink...
How can we have less polarizing discussions on new technologies/ideas in software? So often it seems we speak past each other, often oversimplifying problems in order to rep "our camp".
How can we have less polarizing discussions on new technologies/ideas in software? So often it seems we speak past each other, often oversimplifying problems in order to rep "our camp".
Reposted by Dev Wells
👀 Navigation API will be available in all browsers soon 🎉
Completely redefines the APIs used to build client-side routers / SPAs
🫤 History API: popState, link click.preventDefault() ...
✅ Navigation API: clean, centralized way to intercept navigation events 👌
Completely redefines the APIs used to build client-side routers / SPAs
🫤 History API: popState, link click.preventDefault() ...
✅ Navigation API: clean, centralized way to intercept navigation events 👌
November 5, 2025 at 9:35 AM
👀 Navigation API will be available in all browsers soon 🎉
Completely redefines the APIs used to build client-side routers / SPAs
🫤 History API: popState, link click.preventDefault() ...
✅ Navigation API: clean, centralized way to intercept navigation events 👌
Completely redefines the APIs used to build client-side routers / SPAs
🫤 History API: popState, link click.preventDefault() ...
✅ Navigation API: clean, centralized way to intercept navigation events 👌
Reposted by Dev Wells
Reposted by Dev Wells
last chance to take the State of JS survey if you haven't already, it closes in a day or two
survey.devographics.com/en-US/survey...
survey.devographics.com/en-US/survey...
State of JavaScript 2025
Take the State of JavaScript survey
survey.devographics.com
November 3, 2025 at 2:59 PM
last chance to take the State of JS survey if you haven't already, it closes in a day or two
survey.devographics.com/en-US/survey...
survey.devographics.com/en-US/survey...
The State of JS 2025 survey is now open! survey.devographics.com/survey/state...
State of JavaScript 2025
Take the State of JavaScript survey
survey.devographics.com
October 27, 2025 at 2:11 PM
The State of JS 2025 survey is now open! survey.devographics.com/survey/state...
Reposted by Dev Wells
Someone explain Elixir / Phoenix LiveView to me. What do you like about it?
The model reminds me of sync engines, except Phoenix LV is attacking the problem from the other direction: "what if server side rendering was reactive?" vs "what if client reactivity, but with server state as src of truth?"
The model reminds me of sync engines, except Phoenix LV is attacking the problem from the other direction: "what if server side rendering was reactive?" vs "what if client reactivity, but with server state as src of truth?"
October 17, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Someone explain Elixir / Phoenix LiveView to me. What do you like about it?
The model reminds me of sync engines, except Phoenix LV is attacking the problem from the other direction: "what if server side rendering was reactive?" vs "what if client reactivity, but with server state as src of truth?"
The model reminds me of sync engines, except Phoenix LV is attacking the problem from the other direction: "what if server side rendering was reactive?" vs "what if client reactivity, but with server state as src of truth?"
Anybody managed to get a SvelteKit app in a Deno monorepo running on Deno Deploy?
It can't seem to figure out that the root isn't where the dist is, and there doesn't seem to be any obvious way to override the build directory.
Tried many things/am abt ready to throw my hands up and go back to CF.
It can't seem to figure out that the root isn't where the dist is, and there doesn't seem to be any obvious way to override the build directory.
Tried many things/am abt ready to throw my hands up and go back to CF.
October 16, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Anybody managed to get a SvelteKit app in a Deno monorepo running on Deno Deploy?
It can't seem to figure out that the root isn't where the dist is, and there doesn't seem to be any obvious way to override the build directory.
Tried many things/am abt ready to throw my hands up and go back to CF.
It can't seem to figure out that the root isn't where the dist is, and there doesn't seem to be any obvious way to override the build directory.
Tried many things/am abt ready to throw my hands up and go back to CF.
I want to love @deno.land (as I think their vision is the right direction), but it feels like adoption is slow despite their advances since 2.0.
Are there any medium - large companies / projects using Deno that can speak to it?
Are there any medium - large companies / projects using Deno that can speak to it?
October 3, 2025 at 10:28 AM
I want to love @deno.land (as I think their vision is the right direction), but it feels like adoption is slow despite their advances since 2.0.
Are there any medium - large companies / projects using Deno that can speak to it?
Are there any medium - large companies / projects using Deno that can speak to it?
The duality of wanting to try every new sync engine on the block while also absolutely not needing a local data model for anything I'm currently building.
August 24, 2025 at 1:15 AM
The duality of wanting to try every new sync engine on the block while also absolutely not needing a local data model for anything I'm currently building.
Was scratching my single brain cell over here trying to figure out how to turn streaming on on my new blog... which is a static site.
I think I may have spent too much time "optimizing" SPA architecture lately y'all 🫠
I think I may have spent too much time "optimizing" SPA architecture lately y'all 🫠
July 15, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Was scratching my single brain cell over here trying to figure out how to turn streaming on on my new blog... which is a static site.
I think I may have spent too much time "optimizing" SPA architecture lately y'all 🫠
I think I may have spent too much time "optimizing" SPA architecture lately y'all 🫠
Reposted by Dev Wells
So the joke goes "a platform engineer walked into a React conference..."
infrequently.org/2025/06/conferen…
infrequently.org/2025/06/conferen…
Conferences, Clarity, and Smokescreens - Infrequently Noted
If frontend aspires to be a profession -- something we do for others, not just ourselves -- then we need a culture that can use statistical methods for measuring quality and reject the marketing that ...
infrequently.org
June 27, 2025 at 4:03 PM
So the joke goes "a platform engineer walked into a React conference..."
infrequently.org/2025/06/conferen…
infrequently.org/2025/06/conferen…
Reposted by Dev Wells
what the fuck is this contrast?
June 9, 2025 at 5:41 PM
what the fuck is this contrast?
Reposted by Dev Wells
One of the bigger challenges I have had promoting @solidjs.com is assuming developers have a general idea of how their tools work. I'd show off fine-grained rendering, and be met with "Isn't that how React works?" I'd find myself educating them more about their existing tools.
May 15, 2025 at 8:38 PM
One of the bigger challenges I have had promoting @solidjs.com is assuming developers have a general idea of how their tools work. I'd show off fine-grained rendering, and be met with "Isn't that how React works?" I'd find myself educating them more about their existing tools.
Reposted by Dev Wells
I can't believe it's out, I hope you like it as much as I do, I put a lot of care and effort into that thing. Massive thanks to all my sponsors, small and big, I couldn't have done it without them ❤️
After 5 years in the making, I'm very happy to finally release Anime.js v4, my dream animation library:
🧩 New modular API
⚡️ Highly performant
🖱️ Scroll-linked animations
🫵 Draggables
↔️ Responsive
✨ Additive animations
🪽 WAAPI support
And so much more!
Check out the new website animejs.com!
🧩 New modular API
⚡️ Highly performant
🖱️ Scroll-linked animations
🫵 Draggables
↔️ Responsive
✨ Additive animations
🪽 WAAPI support
And so much more!
Check out the new website animejs.com!
April 3, 2025 at 3:37 PM
I can't believe it's out, I hope you like it as much as I do, I put a lot of care and effort into that thing. Massive thanks to all my sponsors, small and big, I couldn't have done it without them ❤️
In @syntax.fm 889 they discussed instances where a media query would be preffered over or alongside a container query.
I just ran into one such instance while designing a dynamic Search component...
syntax.fm/show/889/pla...
I just ran into one such instance while designing a dynamic Search component...
syntax.fm/show/889/pla...
Planning A Build - Syntax #889
Wes and Scott discuss planning decisions for the Syntax v3 site rebuild including project management, code structure, tooling strategies, UI patterns, and more.
syntax.fm
April 2, 2025 at 3:02 PM
In @syntax.fm 889 they discussed instances where a media query would be preffered over or alongside a container query.
I just ran into one such instance while designing a dynamic Search component...
syntax.fm/show/889/pla...
I just ran into one such instance while designing a dynamic Search component...
syntax.fm/show/889/pla...
2015:
> "you just can't do native-like page transitions without a React SPA"
2023: View Transitions API released
> Pfft React already lets me do this...
2025: Next.js adds support for "React's 'new' View Transitions API"
> "Nextjs View Transitions make page transitions so easy omg!!"
🙄
> "you just can't do native-like page transitions without a React SPA"
2023: View Transitions API released
> Pfft React already lets me do this...
2025: Next.js adds support for "React's 'new' View Transitions API"
> "Nextjs View Transitions make page transitions so easy omg!!"
🙄
February 27, 2025 at 11:54 AM
2015:
> "you just can't do native-like page transitions without a React SPA"
2023: View Transitions API released
> Pfft React already lets me do this...
2025: Next.js adds support for "React's 'new' View Transitions API"
> "Nextjs View Transitions make page transitions so easy omg!!"
🙄
> "you just can't do native-like page transitions without a React SPA"
2023: View Transitions API released
> Pfft React already lets me do this...
2025: Next.js adds support for "React's 'new' View Transitions API"
> "Nextjs View Transitions make page transitions so easy omg!!"
🙄
as people look back on the 70s and remember "everything was brown"
will we look back on the 2020s and remember "everything was gradients"
will we look back on the 2020s and remember "everything was gradients"
January 26, 2025 at 1:14 PM
as people look back on the 70s and remember "everything was brown"
will we look back on the 2020s and remember "everything was gradients"
will we look back on the 2020s and remember "everything was gradients"
Reposted by Dev Wells
The speed with which companies are abandoning DEI is a clue about how shallow their commitment to it ever was.
January 25, 2025 at 12:40 AM
The speed with which companies are abandoning DEI is a clue about how shallow their commitment to it ever was.