It’s 2021. Just gotta admit it. Being good (at things) just doesn’t make sense anymore. The world is ending, climate change is gonna come for us, and to top it off, Trump *still* exists. So let’s take a moment to just stop trying to excel. It’s overrated.
Yes, even when talking about code. Why should we try to write that perfect code? To make it optimized and pretty. Wow. Marvelous. Groundbreaking. Like WordPress is going to care if your lines are indented.
So here’s our handy dandy tutorial on how to be the worst WordPress developer. Ever.
So bad that everybody who’s gonna work for you is going to hate you.
Having no indents on your code
Yes, yes, spoiler from before, but it’s true. And it’s so very true. Not having a structure, not having a sense of rhyme and reason to your code is one of the first major bad things that you can do to “damage” your code. Even though modern text editors generally have auto closing tags, they are added more willy nilly, when they want to, not when they’re needed. If that’s too much of a hassle, please, just use an html beautifier.
It will really make the world a better place for your coworkers.
Using too many plugins
You use plugins. That’s ok. You use plugins for the most menial things. That’s not okay. You use so many plugins on your website that it basically takes 5 minutes to load every time. That’s straight up a crime.
I’ve seen plugins that “help you” set up a 404.php page. I think that’s enough of an explanation.
Ctrl-C + Ctrl-V = love
Every WordPress developer in existence uses Stackoverflow and other sites of the sort, but a bad one will use it religiously. The bible is nothing compared to Stackoverflow for this type of developer. Not checking or understanding the assignment, the task at hand and the code you are using is the sure way to dig yourself into a bug hole that you cannot get out of.
Blaming the compiler every time
Well, it’s true, compilers do mess up things from time to time, but they cannot be the problem all the time, everytime. Blaming the compiler will get you into a loop of changing compiling software; that’s not a solution either. The best response in this is to take accountability for your bugs/mistakes. But, of course, that’s not what a bad developer does.
Enque all the files and then don’t use them
WordPress has a lot of files that are not necessary to use as it is. There are even more files when you start building child themes. And let’s be honest, you don’t need to add a language pack for emojis. So think before you enque.
Doesn’t ask for or accept help
I’m personally guilty of this one. Asking for help or accepting help with is one of the hardest things to do as a WordPress developer; regardless if it’s because of ego, pride, shyness or not wanting to appear dumb. The IT industry is constantly changing, new technology appears everyday and it’s not even humanly possible to keep up with it. So go out there, don’t be shy, ask for help and make that code be the best that ever was.
Any other tips on how to be a bad developer? Let’s talk!