Changelog Master Feed The CEO of htmx likes codin' dirty (Changelog Interviews #646)
7 snips
Jun 18, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, Carson Gross, creator of the zero-dependency JavaScript library htmx and a professor, shares his passion for hypermedia. He dives into the evolution of web development and contrasts it with traditional methods like jQuery, advocating for a revival of hypermedia principles. Carson also tackles the coding philosophy debate, emphasizing a balance between clean code and flexibility. With humorous personal stories, he reveals the tension in the coding community and the need for adaptability in software practices.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
HTMX Popularity via Humor
- Carson Gross grew HTMX's popularity by being humorous and engaging rather than serious or mean on Twitter.
- He attributes some success to timing and a favorable social media algorithm before it changed.
HTMX Extends Hypermedia Controls
- HTMX generalizes old hypermedia controls like forms and links into powerful, flexible HTML hypermedia controls.
- It lets any element trigger HTTP requests and update any part of a page dynamically, overcoming HTML's original limits.
Hypermedia Reduces Application State
- Hypermedia-based apps reduce state duplication by relying on just the server and DOM, unlike RPC apps with client and server state.
- This simplifies code, cutting complexity but limits highly interactive client-side capabilities.
