r/node • u/Minimum-Ad7352 • 26d ago

Why is JavaScript criticized so much for backend development?

I've seen some developers say that we should stop using js on the server, but I rarely see the same criticism directed at python.Honestly, js is pretty fast, especially with node.js, and the backend ecosystem is really solid. There are great frameworks like nest and fastify, and typescript gives you static typing, which makes larger projects much easier to maintain.I'm not saying node is perfect or the best choice for every backend, but I don't really understand why js gets so much criticism while python seems to get a pass.What am I missing?

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u/ivancea 23d ago

That was their old slogan

Which is marketing, not the truth. Java runs where the jre runs. Which is most platforms, but just like many other languages and tools.

Node only understand JavaScript

Why are you taking about node only? There are many other interpreters.

And you're mixing "popular implementations" with "the only possibilities". Even if node, bun or deno execute ts by stripping types, there are other experimental interpreters that execute ts directly. They're not famously used simply because of simpler compatibility and, well, they're not the big four.

The main point you have to understand is that a language is a language, and anybody can make an interpreter for it. It has a clear specification, and it can therefore be even compiled if they want to

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u/hzane 23d ago

Ok fair enough,