Staying up to date in the world of tech is hard. And it is twice as hard as front-end developer where things are changing with extreme pace.
But you, reading this post, have a constant passion for learning. That's good. I'd love to help you navigate the tricky cyberspace and pick the best sources from which you can learn and improve as a React developer.
Blogs
Blogs are the OG way of learning from others (at least for me). Some of the downsides of blogs are irregular updates and discovering new content. I love using an RSS reader but the discovery is a constant struggle.
It's perfect to stay up to date with new versions, plans and announcements.
Dan used to be one of the core members and he is influential in the community. He doesn't blog as regularly as he used to but it's always worth to keep an eye for a new post. And check out the archives as well.
Lots of knowledge and regular posts makes Kent's blog one of the best places to learn.
Newsletters
Newsletters are more personal and work great for asynchronous reading. Email is an underrated tool for content distribution and consumption. Give it a go. It's a great way to stay up to date with React without too many distractions of ad polluted social networks. Enjoy the quiet reading.
I'm biased because I've been sending them for almost a decade.
If you are busy and don't want to follow all the different channels this newsletter is for you. Every week, I put together 5 most interesting links that I stumbled upon and send it to your inbox.
I like Peter Cooper's editorial style and he picks up links that I don't so it is a great complement to React Digest.
Communities
If you love the human element and interaction with your peers then communities around social networks might be the one for you.
There is a lot of going on in this friendly community. From sharing helpful tutorials and side projects to a monthly beginners' Q&A threads.
And if you build apps with React Native there is also r/reactnative.
If you are into the old IRC sort of vibe but with proper code formatting this one is for you. There are heaps of active members and fair amount of interesting channels.
Apart from following influential React developers there is also #reactjs hashtag that can lead to some interesting discoveries.
Podcasts & Youtube
I used to listen to a lot of podcasts but these days with young kids around I don't anymore. I prefer reading over watching so Youtube is not really my jam but I know it will be for a lot of you. So I'll try to share a few popular options here.
This one is not specifically aimed at React but more general Javascript and front-end development. The hosts are amazing and the guest selection is awesome.
A very popular channel with heaps of React and Javascript content.
Loads of content that seems to be aimed at less experienced React developers.
I think that's enough for a start. Pick a few and follow them for a while. See which channels work for you and which ones don't.
And also. What are your favourite resources? How do you like staying up to date with the front-end ecosystem? Share in the comments below. 👇
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