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---
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title: Picking the right tool for the job
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description: There's always a consistent host of people screaming "Just fucking use HTML", while that is valid, there's some nuance to be said.
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date: 2025-06-02
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authors:
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- name: finxol
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tags:
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- opinion
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- tools
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published: false
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---
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All the ["Just Fucking use HTML"](https://justfuckingusehtml.com/) noise is quite aggressive and hard to ignore.
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I think they've got a point, but that point lacks nuance.
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There's a reason more complex tools were built and are as popular as they are.
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Let's dive into simplicity, complexity and tooling.
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## The case for plain HTML
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simpler is often better, if it can get the job done.
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no need to introduce complexity when it's not actually needed.
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increased overhead can easily lead to worse perf.
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simple things keep things simple.
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no need for build steps or complex deployments.
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## The case for more complex tooling
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plain html is ugly.
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css is hard.
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dx is also important.
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## Exceptions
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Now, if you're a nerd like me—which you probably are if you're reading this—there's some tools you want to use just because they seem cool,
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not necessarily because they're needed.
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I think that's a valid exception to the "pick the right tool for the job" rule.
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For our little projects no one else will realistically ever use or contribute to, who cares if you're massively over-engineering
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or bringing in useless complexity?
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But then ultimately, just use whatever makes your life easier to make a good user experience,
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because that's what really matters in the end.