Blue Chip Investments With Semantic UI
23 Feb 2017
My experience with web development languages are still in their infancy. As of writing this, I have only started writing in HTML and CSS for about a month. Traditionally, I thought someone would master HTML and CSS in their raw form before transitioning to a framework. Prior to this class, I didn’t even know what a framework was. I just knew it was something important to know in the future. But learning a framework like Semantic UI is what I prefer over making websites from scratch. Why reinvent the wheel when someone made a high quality version of it for you to use? Frameworks are a brilliant way for speeding up productivity. Why should everyone spend their time making proprietary style sheets if all they really want to do is make a nice website? People should focus on the content of the website rather than the process.
Based on my brief experience with Semantic UI, I enjoy using it. With very limited knowledge, I can make a professional looking website for shops that only require a front end without backend support. And this is only after a couple of weeks! As I learn more about Semantic UI, I have more confidence in my ability to produce something of value, something that’s difficult to do when you’re learning new languages often. Another thing I like about Semantic UI is that the resources and documentation are excellent. The nuggets of knowledge aren’t spread all over the Internet and many businesses provide robust tutorials to help start making professional grade websites as fast as you want to learn.
I compare the value of Semantic UI and raw HTML/CSS on units of time. If I invest an equal number of time to both things, which will yield the most results? With time being a limited resource, Semantic UI wins. The look of a website is important. But, for anyone who develops them, the most important things are functionality and security. You’re not going to make the front page of tech news if you’re website is ugly, but everyone will know when someone hacks into your site, leaks passwords, and steals credit card information. Thus, if I spend more time making my website work without bugs and vulnerabilities, I’m ultimately making a better website.
From here on out, I look forward to learning new frameworks and continuing to learn Semantic UI. Maybe someday Semantic UI will become obsolete, but technologies are always coming and going. What’s important for me to take away is to find new tools to solve new problems and not to hold myself back refusing to try new things. The point of all this work isn’t to pigeonhole ourselves into one language and use it for everything, because that won’t work. To me, it is another blue chip investment in my journey of software engineering.