Ask HN: TED talk about full stack, what would you talk about?

2 points by mcbetz ↗ HN
Let's say you would give a TED talk about how the modern web and modern web applications work. The talk has the title "Full Stack For Beginners". What would be your (say 5) main topics?

5 comments

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I would cover basics of Linux server (Apache/Nginx, 10 most important commands for the terminal) and what they do, why we need databases and how SQL based ones work. I would add email technology (why it is so easy to use and hard to manage - think sending newsletters, handling bounces, DKIM, SPF etc.). And lastly: basics of HTML/CSS plus PHP.
I would talk fundamentals for a while (basic computer architecture, system resources, how a web browser works) then offer some advice on conducting goal-oriented research (how to research any topic sufficiently in a given time frame).
Interesting take: Yes, it pays off showing how to use StackExchange, how to find and read good documentation and how to find what you want and need to know now is a very basic competence that you need to learn early on.
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To me, diving into full stack development with a beginner audience is kind of pointless. They have no context as to what full stack means. So that's one approach, you could talk about the different mechanics of a website and the

If it were me, I would talk about the history of Web Development to explain with how we arrived at the current state, and maybe offer a couple of futuristic teasers of where it could go. People are much more likely to respond to a story, than a 'hey here's how it works' but that largely depends on the audience.

Something that would look like: - Netscape Browser and the Rise of HTML - Introduction of CSS and JavaScript (explain how separation of Content/Function/CSS is a great thing) - Talk about the rise of Ruby/Rails/Jquery CMS systems and how specialized tools developed for different areas of the stack. - Talk about the rise of SPA architecture and how many things are being abstracted away. - Talk about future technologies and possible future trends in Web Development