The JavaScript framework I was most attached to was MooTools, back when I was a teenager. We wrote all code by hand: Not just the syntax, also the spaces, semicolons and newlines – there were no code formatters!
MooTools was the first open source project I worked on with others, and the team had a huge impact on my career - and English skills!
Our shared values were about building the perfect JavaScript framework and working on it felt like expressing myself artistically. The framework was beautiful. As it turned out that’s a terrible way to manage open source. Our attitude towards beginners, and how we integrated with JavaScript were.. not ideal.
What was once used on 7% of websites ended up being dropped by everyone. This was tough for me to take. I disassociated with the project and open source for a year or two. Other maintainers kept working on it, and I ended up directing my anger about what I perceived was a failed open source project towards them. I told them “Why do you guys still work on this?” after I had landed a shiny job. That sucked and I’m sorry.
I approached every project after MooTools differently: I’m doing my best here given the constraints, I’m not tying my identity to this project, and if something better comes along – please, let’s dump whatever I did and align on the future together. Value your work, but don’t value the attachment.