Blame the implementation, not the technique
Nearly a decade after Tim Kadlec first made the argument, we still struggle to separate a tool’s poor execution from its underlying value. Kadlec’s 2012 post listed the familiar refrains: “Responsive design is bad for performance,” “User agent detection is bad,” “Hybrid apps don’t work as well as native apps,” “CSS preprocessors shouldn’t be used because they create bloated CSS.” His advice: find out for yourself whether the blame really belongs to the tool.
Somewhere in our psychology, we shift fault from the offending detail to what we assume caused it. Sometimes we get that right. The AMP letter explicitly states the format itself isn’t the problem — two aspects of its implementation are. Similarly, accessibility issues aren’t React’s fault. When we point at the tool, we sidestep the actual problems that need fixing.
Other times, the distinction is harder to hold onto. This piece links back to Tim’s original post as a reminder — and an attempt to do better about identifying where the real fault lies. Direct Link →
