Friday Issue No. 159
This week’s JavaScript stories feel both familiar and slightly uncanny. React turns thirteen, Chrome DevTools leans into AI assisted debugging with WebMCP panels and smarter CSS tooling, and there is a very timely checklist for deciding whether you really want that next npm dependency. On the workflow side, Nolan Lawson argues for deliberately slowing down your AI coding habits, using models more as careful code reviewers than autocomplete firehoses.
HTML and CSS are in an experimental mood too, with native style parallax effects that ship without any JavaScript, a wild PolyCSS demo that turns DOM nodes into 3D polygons and the State of CSS 2026 survey asking what you actually use in practice. Mixed in are posts that gently roast Google’s Modern Web Guidance, Steve Yegge’s cartoon heavy AI essay, a brain bending JS crossword and a post on why the best loading state might be no loading UI at all.
JavaScript News
React turns 13
React just turned 13, with the first public release landing back in July 2013. A nice moment to realise that hooks are now middle-aged and that many of the patterns we still lean on were born in a very different web.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/React_(software)
How to Evaluate an npm Package - 2026 Edition
A practical checklist style post on deciding whether to trust yet another dependency. Short version:
Do you actually need this package? Does it have provenance? Does it have unexplained install scripts?
https://blog.gaborkoos.com/posts/2026-05-29-How-to-Evaluate-an-npm-Package-2026-Edition/
DevTools (Chrome 149) updates
Chrome 149’s DevTools release brings AI assisted features, experimental WebMCP debugging tools and nicer ergonomics for CSS workflows. You get code completion support for CSS, a dedicated WebMCP pane for inspecting AI facing tools and better integration with Chrome’s broader AI and Prompt APIs.
https://developer.chrome.com/blog/new-in-devtools-149
Using AI to write better code more slowly
Nolan Lawson suggests a “slow down” approach to AI coding: treat the model as a careful reviewer, use it to find and fix bugs and favour smaller, well understood changes over giant diff dumps. It is a nice counterweight to the usual “ship faster with AI” narrative and comes with concrete prompts and tactics you can try.
https://nolanlawson.com/2026/05/25/using-ai-to-write-better-code-more-slowly/
Here is also a “triple agent” Claude code review skill from the same author, which chains multiple passes over your changes.
https://gist.github.com/nolanlawson/4150b0ca9640654c256b324fac0d5253
Tinykeys
A super tiny library for keyboard shortcuts that focuses on readable key definitions and small bundle size. If you just need a lightweight way to wire up keybindings without pulling in a whole hotkey framework, this is worth a look.
https://jamiebuilds.github.io/tinykeys/
Blocking Rendering with JavaScript
An interesting case study on when it can actually make sense to intentionally block rendering of a component. The post walks through using a <script blocking="render"></script> pattern to delay the UI until critical JavaScript has done its work, and when that trade-off is justified.
https://www.jayfreestone.com/writing/intentional-render-blocking-javascript/
JS Crossword
A JavaScript-themed crossword that is much harder than it looks at first glance.
https://lyra.horse/fun/jscrossword/
HTML & CSS News
Maybe don’t rely on Google’s “Modern Web Guidance”
Adrian Roselli takes Google’s Modern Web Guidance for a spin using Google’s own suggested first prompt and shows where the output falls short.
https://adrianroselli.com/2026/05/maybe-dont-rely-on-googles-modern-web-guidance.html
PolyCSS
PolyCSS renders actual 3D scenes using only CSS, with each polygon mapped to a real DOM element. It is more of a wild experiment than a production pattern, but a fascinating example of how far modern CSS can be pushed.
CSS native parallax effect
A neat demo of a native parallax effect using only CSS, no JavaScript required. The technique leans on scrolling and transform features to create layered depth without the usual scroll handlers.
https://dan-webnotes.com/posts/2026-06-02-css-native-parallax-effect/
State of CSS survey
The 2026 State of CSS survey is open, covering everything from new layout primitives to the tools and frameworks you actually use.
https://survey.devographics.com/en-US/survey/state-of-css/2026
Mixed News
The AI Vampire
Steve Yegge follows up his earlier Gas Town post with a very different take on AI, packed with his usual cartoons and long-form storytelling. It is a great Friday long read if you enjoy opinionated essays on the direction of the industry, even if you do not agree with all of it.
https://steve-yegge.medium.com/the-ai-vampire-eda6e4f07163
Loading states
A thoughtful piece on how our ideas about loading states have gone full circle. From blank screens to spinner hell in every component to skeletons everywhere, the post argues for collapsing most of that back into either app-level transitions or, often, no loading UI at all.
https://jjenzz.com/best-loading-states-are-no-loading-states/