CSS and JS Are at War – How to Stop It
The article examines the perceived conflict between JavaScript and CSS/UX developers, explains how community segregation and social media amplify the divide, and proposes practical steps for fostering collaboration and reducing the "JS vs CSS" war in front‑end development.
Author Andrey Sitnik, the creator of PostCSS, introduces the article as part of the UC International Technology newsletter, which shares high‑quality technical content on client‑side, server‑side, algorithms, testing, data, and front‑end topics.
TL;DR: Many people love both JavaScript and UX/CSS, and if we stop labeling developers as “JS developers” or “UX developers,” we can end the "JS vs CSS" conflict and move toward a more peaceful front‑end ecosystem.
The piece describes a "real war" on the front‑end front: on one side stand the JavaScript enthusiasts, on the other the UX/CSS advocates who avoid JavaScript‑heavy interfaces. It notes the fear among front‑end developers that ignoring JavaScript’s dominance could jeopardize their jobs, while CSS meetups are far fewer than JavaScript meetups.
Two main biases are identified: first, the separation of CSS and JavaScript conferences (e.g., JSConf vs. CSSConf) which reinforces the split; second, social‑media echo chambers that polarize discussions and amplify extreme viewpoints.
The author argues that the technical landscape is too complex for anyone to claim 100% full‑stack expertise, and the artificial division between JS and CSS/UX creates a black‑and‑white worldview that labels developers unfairly.
As the author of PostCSS, he acknowledges being torn between seeing PostCSS as a CSS tool and as a JavaScript build tool, illustrating the blurred lines between the two domains.
He encourages developers to openly express their love for both technologies, to organize conferences that include both JS and CSS/UX talks, and to try the other side’s tools: CSS/UX developers can start with Stylelint, while React developers can experiment with native JavaScript to improve performance and accessibility.
Finally, the article provides a link to the original source and recommends a related article about essential ES2018 features for JavaScript developers.
UC Tech Team
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