Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats
Full Stack Developers Wes Bos and Scott Tolinski dive deep into web development topics, explaining how they work and talking about their own experiences. They cover from JavaScript frameworks like React, to the latest advancements in CSS to simplifying web tooling.
Episodes
1017, We need to stop calling it “AI”
Scott and Wes raid the listener mailbag to settle the pnpm vs. npm debate, decode how web standards sneak into your browser, and ask the big one: is “AI” even intelligent, or just fancy autocomplete? Plus Stack Overflow nostalgia, the Shadcn head-scratcher, and why big design systems are sleeping on modern HTML.
Show Notes
00:00 Intro
00:44 Welcome to Syntax!
01:51 Exploring CSS Component
1016: More Bots Than Humans
Wes, Scott, and CJ break down the latest web dev news. From AI agents and coding tools to Deno Desktop, Nub, and predictive UX. They also discuss bot-filled social media, remote work debates, and a slick 3D bookstore experience.
Show Notes
00:00 Intro
00:35 Welcome to Syntax!
01:43 Codex Design Smell
03:55 More Bots Than Humans
Bot vs Human
Post-smoke test software era
12:38 Social
1015: Browsers and UIs are dead. Everything is chat
Is the web dead, or just evolving? Wes Bos breaks down his JS Nation Amsterdam talk on agentic interfaces, why chat won’t replace everything, how Web MCP lets agents interact with your existing sites, and what “Clicks and Clankers” really means for the future of UI.
Show Notes
00:00 Intro
00:33 Welcome to Syntax!
00:46 Wes’s Talk: Agentic Interfaces at JS Nation
01:37 Is the Web Dead?
1014: Anthropic doesn’t use AI
Scott, Wes, and CJ reunite fresh off a trip to Amsterdam to chat conferences, burnout, and whether Anthropic actually uses AI. They also dig into a packed bag of sick picks and tech news, including HTML streaming in Chrome, an image-to-ASCII generator, and a wild Arch Linux supply chain attack.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
02:15 Anthropic Doesn’t Use AI
Thariq’s Tweet
Tweet Respons
1013: Cloudflare Acquires VoidZero
Live at JSNation in Amsterdam, Scott, Wes, and CJ break down Cloudflare’s acquisition of VoidZero, the company behind Vite, Vitest, Rolldown, and Oxc. They dig into why this is genuinely exciting, not scary, covering what it means for the open source tooling you already use, Cloudflare’s growing tip-to-tail stack, and why infrastructure might be the one thing LLMs can never sherlock
Show Notes
1012: Who Decides What Ships on the Web?
Scott and Wes sit down with Jake Archibald from Mozilla to unpack how web standards actually get made at Firefox. From browser features and developer feedback to the drama around the Prompt API. They discuss Interop 2026, the future of web APIs, and what it’s really like shaping the web after a career spanning both Google and Mozilla.
Show Notes
00:00 The Importance of Sunscreen
02:29 We
1011: tmux + Terminal Maxxing with Ben Vinegar
Scott and Wes sit down with Ben Vinegar, former Syntax GM and founder of Modem.dev, to geek out over terminal-maxxing, from SSH-based development and tmux workflows to AI-powered coding agents. Ben also demos two of his open source tools: Hunk, a slick terminal code reviewer with 4k+ GitHub stars, and TermDraw, a terminal-based diagramming tool that posts directly to your agent.
Show Notes
00
1010: No one cares anymore?
On this episode, Scott and Wes dig into the messy reality of modern front-end work, from struggling to find skilled devs and navigating team chaos to questioning code quality, testing, and even whether AI is stealing the joy of programming.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax
01:06 The Challenge of Finding Skilled Front-End Developers
05:11 Understanding Design Mode and Its Applicatio
1009: 54% AI-Generated and Climbing — State of AI
Scott and Wes react to the freshly released State of AI 2026 survey, covering everything from skyrocketing AI adoption and the rise of coding agents to the pain points, job security fears, and big philosophical questions developers are wrestling with right now.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:06 Introduction to the State of AI in Web Development
02:47 Survey Insights: AI Coding Ad
1008: Diffs, Trees, and VS Code 2.0
Scott and Wes sit down with Alex Sexton and Amadeus De Marzi from Pierre Computer to dig into the gnarly performance challenges behind building blazing-fast code review tools, covering virtualization, progressive rendering, and why GitHub’s UI feels so sluggish. They also chat about how major AI coding tools like Claude, Codex, and Cursor are adopting Pierre’s diffs library, plus the role of web c
1007: 8 Tech Choices to Lock In Before Agentmaxxing
Wes and Scott talk about the foundational decisions that make AI-assisted coding actually work—database schemas, validation, routing, CSS structure, and more. They explore why consistency matters more than specific tools, and how a little upfront planning can keep agents from turning your codebase into chaos.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
03:19 Planning your database schema before AI
1006: Can AI Make Good Design?
Wes and Scott talk about whether AI can actually create good design, or if it just remixes the same patterns over and over. They dig into AI-generated UX, design systems, YouTube thumbnails, Google’s design.md spec, programmatic design, and the tools designers are actually using today.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
03:20 Can AI actually make you creative?
08:52 Why AI-generated
1005: Programatic and Skill based Video Creation with Remotion
Scott and Wes are joined by Jonny Burger, creator of Remotion, to talk about the explosion of programmatic video, going from 125k to 800k installs per day, and how AI and a new HTML-in-Canvas Chrome spec are changing the game. They dig into monetization, the wild world of video slop, motion graphics workflows, and the new Media Bunny tool.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
Remotion has ski
1004: TanHacked
Scott and Wes break down the “Mini Shai-Hulud” supply chain attack that compromised TanStack and other popular npm packages through a clever GitHub Actions cache poisoning exploit; a self-propagating worm that stole credentials and persisted through Claude Code hooks and VS Code tasks. They also cover how developers can protect themselves using pnpm’s security defaults, dev containers, and other p
1003: Skills Skills Skills
Scott and Wes chat all things agent skills for web developers, sharing their favorites for everything from CSS animations and HTML generation to logo extraction, marketing copy, and video creation. Whether you’re just getting started with AI-powered development or looking to level up your workflow, this episode is packed with practical skills you can put to use today.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome
1002: The Real Pricing of LLMs
In this potluck episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer your questions about LLM usage-based pricing, security risks from malicious code in interviews, staying current in a fast-moving dev landscape, a new CSS linter, managing Node environments and tooling without losing your mind, and more!
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:17 Copilot’s new usage-based pricing and the end of cheap AI
1001: Managing Deadlines + Stress
Scott and Wes tackle the all-too-real stress of crunch time as a web developer—how to handle looming deadlines, avoid sloppy shortcuts, and stay methodical when everything feels like it’s falling apart. They share practical tips on planning, communicating, cutting scope, asking for help, and preventing the chaos from happening again next time.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
02:53 The I
1000: Syntax Episode 1,000!
Wes and Scott celebrate 1000 episodes of Syntax, reflecting on how the podcast started, the team behind it, memorable moments, listener stats, inside jokes, and how the show has evolved over time—from early recordings and sponsors to supercuts, spooky episodes, and what’s next.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
02:01 Intro to Kaitlin
03:08 Intro to Randy
06:16 Intro to CJ
09:01 Intr
999: Writing Maintainable CSS
Scott and Wes break down what makes CSS truly manageable—from preventing style leaks and embracing fluid layouts to choosing the right methodology, whether that’s utility CSS, component-scoped styles, or CSS modules. They also dive into practical tips like leveraging CSS variables, layers, scoping, and tooling to keep your stylesheets clean and scalable.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
998: How to Fix Vibe Coding
Wes and Scott talk about making AI coding more reliable using deterministic tools like fallow, knip, ESLint, StyleLint, and Sentry. They cover code quality analysis, linting strategies, headless browsers, task workflows, and how to enforce better patterns so AI stops guessing and starts producing maintainable, predictable code.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
Losing two clients in one we
997: Rating and Roasting Your Projects
Scott and Wes dig into a huge batch of community-submitted projects, from JSON tools and CSS editors to AI agents, view transitions, and everything in between. It’s a rapid-fire showcase of what developers have been building, including picks like Arrow JS, Sugar High, Drift, and a whole lot more.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
Wes’ Bluesky Post
Wes’ X Post
01:20 JSON-Alexander.
996: 10 New CSS and HTML APIs
Wes and Scott talk about the latest CSS and browser features, including the Grid Lines API for masonry layouts, HTML in Canvas, name-only container queries, CSS random, search-text styling, and more.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:57 Grid Lines API for masonry-style layouts
Introducing CSS Grid Lanes
CSS Grid Lanes browser support
03:25 HTML in canvas and next-gen UI effects
995: Next.js Vendor Lock-in No More
In this episode, Scott and Wes sit down with Tim Neutkens and Jimmi Lai from the Next.js team to dig into the new Adapters API, what it takes to run Next.js across platforms like Cloudflare and Netlify, and how caching and infrastructure choices affect performance. They also go deep on TurboPack’s internals, why Next.js doesn’t run on Vite, and the evolution of bundling in the framework.
Show No
994: AI Sucks At CSS
In this potluck episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer your questions about AI struggles with CSS and design workflows, learning vs relying on AI, debugging web performance, beginner soldering setups, navigating AI-era job interviews, Figma dev mode, modern API choices, and more.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:55 Why AI struggles with CSS and design workflows
10:50 How much AI sh
993: It’s Been A Hell Of Week
Scott and Wes break down a chaotic week in dev news — the Claude Code source leak, a nasty Axios npm supply chain hack, and Railway’s private cache exposure — plus how to keep these nightmare scenarios from hitting your own projects.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:55 Claude Code Leaked!
Wes’ X Post
Apple Source Code Video
05:42 Burning through Claude Code token limits.
Reddi
992: Migrating Legacy Code Just Got Easier
Wes and Scott talk about migrating large codebases with AI — how to plan framework and language moves, establish patterns, handle templating changes, test thoroughly, safely deploy, and more.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:46 Why migrate to a new language or framework?
05:09 How to approach a large code migration
08:47 Establishing patterns before using AI
10:35 Moving from pu
991: Vite’s bet on Cloudflare (VOID Framework)
Vite just launched Void, a fullstack JavaScript framework and cloud platform that bundles together routing, SSR, auth, an ORM, and nearly everything you’d expect from a modern meta-framework — all built on top of Cloudflare’s infrastructure. Scott, Wes, and CJ dig into whether Void is the Rails moment JavaScript has been waiting for, or just shiny Cloudflare lock-in with a bow on it.
Show Notes
990: Vite Is Taking Over (Vite+)
Wes, Scott, and CJ talk about Vite+, a unified JavaScript toolchain that combines linting, formatting, task running, monorepos, and more. They break down its evolution, open-source shift, performance gains, Node version management, and whether it can realistically replace today’s fragmented dev tooling.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:54 What Vite+ is and what’s changed since launch
989: State of JS 2025
Scott and Wes dig into the latest State of JS survey results, breaking down which JavaScript libraries, frameworks, and tools are rising, falling, or holding steady in the ever-shifting JS ecosystem. From front-end frameworks and meta-framework pain points to JavaScript runtimes, hosting services, and the growing role of AI tools in developer workflows, this one’s packed with takes, tier lists, an
988: Cloudflare’s Next.js Slop Fork
Wes and Scott talk with Steve Faulkner about vinext, a Vite-powered Next.js fork. They dive into AI coding workflows, agent browsers, code quality, and what modern dev tooling looks like in an AI-first world.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
02:01 Knowing how to use AI
02:31 The idea behind “slop fork”
vinext
How we rebuilt Next.js with AI in one week
06:27 How to approach a pro
987: Remote Coding Agents
Scott and Wes break down the world of remote coding agents — what they are, why you’d want one, and all the different ways you can run them, from Cursor Cloud and Claude Code to an old laptop sitting on your floor. They cover real-world use cases, environment setup, API key management, and the wild variety of interfaces that let agents work while you sleep.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
986: Does Code Quality Matter Anymore?
In this potluck episode, Wes and Scott answer your questions about popover navigation patterns, the Vibrate API on iOS, whether code quality still matters in the AI era, Wes’s evolving Obsidian second-brain setup, where to start with modern full-stack JavaScript, and more!
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:02 Using display none with popover and hamburger navigation
03:37 Vercel
985: Stop putting secrets in .env
Scott and Wes are joined by Phil Miller and Theo Ephraim to talk about Varlock, a new approach to environment variables that adds schemas, validation, and security to the humble .env file. They dig into the risks of traditional env workflows, how schema-driven configs improve DX, and how tools like Varlock help manage secrets safely across frameworks, CI, and AI-powered workflows.
Show Notes
984: How to Make a DOM Library Render Anything w/ Paolo Ricciuti
Wes and Scott talk with Paolo Ricciuti about Svelte custom renderers and how Svelte actually talks to the DOM. They dig into compiler internals, CSS handling, native bridges, and the realities of maintaining ambitious open source tooling.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
March MadCSS
01:44 Paolo’s role at Mainmatter and his work on Svelte custom renderers
02:52 Why Paolo chose Sve
983: Why I Chose Electron Over Native (And I’d Do It Again)
Wes and Scott talk about building v_framer, Scott’s custom multi-source video recording app, and why Electron beat Tauri and native APIs for the job. They dig into MKV vs WebM, crash-proof recording, licensing with Stripe and Keygen, auto-updates, and the real challenges of shipping a polished desktop app.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
March MadCSS
02:28 Why screen recording apps
982: Bots Are Ruining the Internet
Wes and Scott talk about the latest dev news: Node enabling Temporal by default, OpenAI acquiring OpenClaw, TypeScript 6, new TanStack and Deno releases, the explosion of AI agent platforms, and more.
Courtney Tolinski's Podcast
Phases: A Parenting Podcast
https://phases.fm/
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:11 Brought to you by Sentry.io
02:40 Node.js enables Temporal b
981: Browsers Are Finally Catching Up (Interop 2026)
Scott and Wes unpack Interop 2026 and the browser features finally aligning across engines, from container style queries and anchor positioning to scroll-driven animations and view transitions. They break down what it all means for day-to-day devs and how close we really are to a fully interoperable web.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:21 What is Interop?
Interop GitHub.
02:44
980: AI Coding Explained
Wes and Scott talk about the state of AI coding in 2026—from editors and models to agents, skills, slash commands, MCPs, and more. They unpack what these things actually do, how they overlap, and how to use them effectively without overcomplicating your setup.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:39 The tools: editors, terminals, GUIs
05:27 Wes’ and Scott’s current AI setups
13:17 Pic
979: WebMCP: New Standard to Expose Your Apps to AI
Scott and Wes unpack WebMCP, a new standard that lets AI interact with websites through structured tools instead of slow, bot-style clicking. They demo it, debate imperative vs declarative APIs, and share their hottest take: this might be the web’s real AI moment.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:16 Introduction to WebMCP
01:07 Understanding WebMCP Functionality.
03:06 Interactin
978: Should A New Coder Use AI?
Wes and Scott answer your questions about AI agents, learning to code with AI, pagination patterns, skilling up from outdated tech stacks, balancing side projects with family life, real-world hacking attempts, and more!
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:39 Are devs really running multiple AI agents at once?
Scott’s Tweet
09:41 Brought to you by Sentry.io
12:45 What is paginati
977: We built a CSS Challenge platform
Scott and Wes break down how they built SynHax, the real-time CSS Battle app powering the upcoming Mad CSS tournament. From SvelteKit and Zero to diffing algorithms, sync conflicts, and a last-minute hackweek glow-up, this one’s a deep dive into shipping ambitious web apps fast.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:50 March Mad CSS Tournament.
03:19 Brought to you by Sentry.io.
03:59
976: Pi - The AI Harness That Powers OpenClaw W/ Armin Ronacher & Mario Zechner
Wes and Scott talk with Armin Ronacher and Mario Zechner about PI, a minimalist agent harness powering tools like OpenClaw. They unpack why Bash is “all you need,” the risks of agents, workflow adaptability, and where AI coding agents are actually headed.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
03:28 What is Pi, and why does it matter?
OpenClaw
05:54 What do we actually mean by “agents”?
975: What’s Missing From the Web Platform?
Scott and Wes run through their wishlist for the web platform, digging into the UI primitives, DOM APIs, and browser features they wish existed (or didn’t suck). From better form controls and drag-and-drop to native reactivity, CSS ideas, and future-facing APIs, it’s a big-picture chat on what the web could be.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
Wes Tweet
00:39 Exploring What’s Missing
974: Clawdbot (Moltbot), Agents and the Age of Personal Software
Wes and Scott talk about building hyper-specific personal software with AI. They explore personal agents, home automation, JSON-as-a-database, and how LLMs unlock fast, custom apps that reduce friction and replace bloated SaaS.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:53 What is personal software (and why it matters)
04:49 Using AI agents to build hyper-specific apps for yourself
Clawdbot
973: The Web’s Next Form: MCP UI (with Kent C. Dodds)
Scott and Wes sit down with Kent C. Dodds to break down MCP, context engineering, and what it really takes to build effective AI-powered tools. They dig into practical examples, UI patterns, performance tradeoffs, and whether the future of the web lives in chat or the browser.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:44 Introduction to Kent C. Dodds
02:44 What is MCP?
03:28 Context Engine
972: These Things Make Your App Feel Like Crap on Mobile
Wes and Scott talk about why mobile web apps often feel “janky” compared to native—and how to fix it. They cover input zooming, accidental horizontal scroll, pointer/user-select quirks, frame rate consistency, full-page refreshes, and more.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:11 Brought to you by Sentry.io
02:57 Zooming inputs
06:11 Horizontal scrolling
08:49 Proper use of pointer
971: Stackoverflow and Firefox are Dead?
Is Stack Overflow actually dying, and what does that mean in an AI-driven dev world? Scott and Wes break down the latest web dev news, from Firefox’s AI crossroads and Apple’s browser engine changes to new tools, docs, and spicy browser updates.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
02:36 Stack Overflow is Officially Dead
05:40 AI’s Impact on Software Development
07:56 Brought to you by S
970: Why Did Anthropic Buy Bun?
Wes and Scott answer your questions about whether Git GUIs beat the terminal, balancing accessibility with experimental web projects, blocking malicious traffic, smart home setups, why Anthropic bought Bun, navigating tricky team dynamics, and more!
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:51 Why did Anthropic buy Bun?
07:33 Should you use Git GUIs or the terminal?
lazygit
12:54 How t
969: This guy is nuts (TypeScript Doom)
Scott and Wes sit down with Dimitri Mitropoulos to explore the wild edges of TypeScript—from running Doom in the type system to building tools like Typeslayer. They dig into Turing-complete types, performance limits, and what the future might hold for TypeScript and programming languages as a whole.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:27 Dimitri Mitropoulos Introduction
01:29 What
968: Habits and Changes We Want to Make in 2026
Wes and Scott talk about setting realistic goals for the new year, building habits through small, sustainable changes, creating systems that actually stick, and why incremental progress beats big resolutions every time.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:26 Wes: Stand more
06:55 Wes: Learn to wake up early
10:04 Scott: Embrace daily TODOs
Tweek
14:18 Brought to you by Sentry.i
967: What’s Going to Happen in Web Dev During 2026
Wes and Scott talk about their bold predictions for web development in 2026, from WebGPU-powered design and modern CSS breakthroughs to JavaScript standards, AI-driven tooling, security risks, the future of frameworks, workflows, and more!
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:49 WebGPU and 3D experiences will finally take off
Lando Norris
01:30 Web design will make a comeback
Rayca
966: A Look Back at Web Dev in 2025
Wes and Scott revisit their 2025 web development predictions, grading hits and misses across AI, browsers, frameworks, CSS, and tooling. From Temporal and AI coding agents to React, Vite, and vanilla CSS, they reflect on what actually changed, what stalled, and what it all means heading into 2026.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
866: 2025 Web Development Predictions
01:26 Temporal A
965: Baseline 2025 Features web gained in 2025
Scott and Wes break down the biggest web platform features that reached Baseline in 2025, separating the genuinely useful APIs from the niche and forgettable ones. From same-document view transitions and the Popover API to Promise.try, content-visibility, and modern CSS goodies, they share what’s actually ready to use today.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:37 24 new web APIs that rea
964: Markdown as a CMS is a bad idea
In this potluck episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer your questions about keyboard shortcuts, choosing frameworks in the age of AI, markdown vs CMSs, backup strategies, moving countries for work, staying relevant as a developer, and more!
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
02:28 Do keyboard shortcuts actually improve productivity?
Hyperkey
08:41 What is Error Lens, and why use it?
963: Hardware Hacking with Matt Brown
Scott and Wes chat with YouTuber and security consultant Matt Brown about breaking into IoT devices, extracting firmware, and decoding the hidden tech inside everyday gadgets. Matt shares his methods, the legal boundaries, and the wild stories behind his most interesting hacks.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:21 Curiosity in Hacking
03:28 Understanding IoT Devices
07:15 Brought t
962: The Home Server / Synology Show
Wes and Scott talk about their evolving home-server setups—Synology rigs, Mac minis, Docker vs. VMs, media servers, backups, Cloudflare Tunnels, and the real-world pros and cons of running your own hardware.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:35 Why use a home server?
07:29 Apps for home servers
16:23 Home server hardware
18:27 Brought to you by Sentry.io
20:45 VMs vs container
961: Keeping Up With The Fast and Furious Web
Scott and CJ go live from JS Nation NYC to talk about how developers can actually stay current without drowning in the constant churn of new tools and trends. They break down how to see through the fluff, focus on why tech exists before adopting it, and build a healthier, curiosity-driven approach to learning in 2025 and beyond.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:39 Scott delivering a n
960: Reacting to the Weird + Creative Corners of the Web
Wes and Scott talk about the weird, creative corners of the web—from live-coded music with Strudel and wild Hydra visuals to shader wizardry, projection-mapping art, fully synced Christmas lights, and more.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:10 Strudel
https://www.tiktok.com/@dj_dave__/video/7541104277234748685
https://www.tiktok.com/@switch.angel/video/7542776528057257229
03:45 Hy
959: TypeScript on the GPU with TypeGPU creator Iwo Plaza
Scott and CJ sit down live at JSNation NYC with Iwo Plaza, creator of TypeGPU, to dig into how WebGPU is unlocking a new wave of graphics and compute power on the web. They chat about shader authoring in TypeScript, the future of GPU-powered AI in the browser, and what it takes to build a killer developer-friendly graphics library.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:32 What is TypeGPU?
958: 2025 Holiday Gift Guide
The Syntax team brings us their annual Holiday Gift Guide! They’ve curated the best gadgets, tools, food, and even kitchen essentials for the dev in your life — plus a few treats anyone would love to unwrap.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax
00:54 Our Favorite Things
01:03 Wes - Bambu Lab 3d Printers
01:50 Wes - Leatherman Arc Multi-tool
03:07 Kaitlin - Ruffwear Roamer Bungee D
957: CSS: Advanced and Obscure
Scott and Wes face off in a CSS-themed round of STUMP’d, quizzing each other on shape functions, scroll snap types, obscure functions, and long-forgotten spec history. From ray() to cross-fade() to print-color quirks, this episode is packed with rapid-fire frontend trivia guaranteed to sharpen your CSS brain.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:54 Which of the following are valid CSS Sha
956: Should I Keep Using WordPress?
In this potluck episode, Wes and Scott answer your questions about paid vs. free SSL, the state of frontend jobs, headless WordPress trade-offs, organizing TypeScript types, and more!
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:51 Recapping the GitHub Meetup
05:14 Is there any real benefit to picking a paid SSL over Let's Encrypt?
08:03 Is the pure frontend role disappearing?
11:1
955: SvelteKit has solved data loading
Scott and Wes break down SvelteKit’s new remote functions and why they finally solve the long-standing pain of page-level data in Svelte. They cover queries, forms, batching, caching, and all the clever RPC ergonomics that make Svelte’s approach feel surprisingly powerful and refreshingly simple.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:45 Lots of RPC library options.
01:22 Svelte’s Page-Le
954: Fullstack TanStack! The Scoop with Tanner Linsley
Live from GitHub Universe, Wes and Scott talk with Tanner Linsley about the latest from TanStack, including TanStack DB’s local-first syncing, new routing ideas, and fresh perspectives on server components and “magic” directives. They explore performance, incremental adoption, and what’s next for the rapidly growing TanStack ecosystem — plus a few spicy takes along the way.
Show Notes
00:00 W
953: Why v0 creator left Vercel to fix GitHub (GOAT Jared Palmer)
Scott and Wes sit down with Jared Palmer of GitHub (formerly of Vercel) to unpack all the biggest announcements from GitHub Universe 2025. They dive into the future of developer workflows with agents, how GitHub is rethinking project interfaces, and where there’s still room to improve the dev experience.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
GitHub Universe Recap.
00:21 Who is Jared Palm
952: VS Code, GitHub & Copilot - UNIVERSE 25 Announcements + Reactions
Live from GitHub Universe, Wes, Scott, and CJ talk about the latest AI and developer tools from GitHub, including Agent HQ, Copilot integrations, and the new mission control for agents. They also share stories from the Syntax meetup, hack their conference badges, and debate AI’s role in coding.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
03:39 This year’s GitHub Universe badges were next-level
07
951: A first look at Remix 3
Scott and Wes dive into Remix 3, exploring how it embraces native web standards like Events, Signals, and Streams to become a truly full-stack framework. They unpack what “LLM-ready,” thin APIs, and a standards-based approach mean for the future of web development.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
03:21 Uses the platform - native Events, Signals, Streams, Fetch
04:16 Remix 3, Fully Ful
950: Even SCARIER Web Dev Nightmares (Spooky Stories Pt. 2)
In part 2 of this year’s Spooky Stories special, Wes and Scott discuss the most chilling developer horror stories—from six-month-old unprocessed donations and runaway dog-food orders to vanishing databases, DNS disasters, code that literally tore apart a mall’s ventilation system, and more!
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:33 A Bug Beyond the Grave
04:16 NHL SPOOKS
06:36 White Spa
949: Web Dev HORROR Stories + Spooky Trivia! (Spooky Stories Pt. 1)
It’s that time of year again, Scott (as Dracula) and Wes (as a big bad shark) return for their annual Spooky Stories special! They’re joined by a mysterious guest for a round of creepy coding trivia and chilling true tales of web dev gone wrong; dropped databases, haunted passwords, and more. Beware: these are real developer horror stories.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:05 Scott’s
948: Zed is Ready For Primetime
Wes and Scott talk about what makes Zed—the hot new editor built in Rust—fast, beautiful, and finally ready for primetime. From Git UI to extensions and AI tools, they break down what Zed gets right, what it still lacks, and whether it’s time to finally ditch VS Code.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
Syntax San Francisco Meetup
We need your Spooky Stories
02:37 Brought to you by Sen
947: S-Tier MCP Servers for Developers
Scott and Wes break down the top-tier MCP servers developers are using right now. From browser automation to debugging superpowers, they explore how these servers are changing what’s possible in modern dev workflows.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:52 Brought to you by Sentry.io.
02:46 Submit your Spooky Stories!
03:37 Syntax San Francisco Meetup.
04:11 S-Tier MCP Servers.
04
946: We Got Roasted for Our Websites — Fair
In this potluck episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer your questions about why devs neglect their own websites, hosting shady projects (hypothetically), AI rules in version control, balancing side projects and family life, and more!
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:43 Why devs neglect their own websites (and how to convince your parents coding is a real job)
07:04 AirPods, Nothing
945: Chrome Dev Tools MCP Server
Scott and Wes dive into Chrome’s new MCP server; a dev tools API powered by Puppeteer that gives your scripts, editors, and AI agents full access to Chrome. They break down how it works, what it can (and can’t) do, and how it might change debugging and automation for developers
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:15 Syntax San Francisco Meetup.
01:55 We need your Spooky Stories!
0
944: Is Coinbase Really Writing Half Their Code With AI?
Wes and Scott talk with Kyle Cesmat about how Coinbase is writing nearly half its code with AI—while keeping quality and security front and center. They dig into tools like Cursor and Claude Code, agent-driven workflows, code review challenges, and how AI is reshaping developer productivity without replacing developers.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
03:29 Defining and measuring “quali
943: Modern React with Ricky Hanlon (React Core Dev)
Scott and Wes sit down with Ricky Hanlon from the React core team at Facebook to dive into the latest features and APIs shaping modern React development. From transitions and Suspense to fetching strategies and future directions, this episode breaks down what’s next for React and how developers can take advantage of it.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:20 Who is Ricky Hanlon.
02:10
942: Mental Health Q&A w/ Dr. Courtney Tolinski
Wes and Scott talk with Dr. Courtney Tolinski about supporting neurodivergent teammates, navigating workplace dynamics, and recognizing strengths beyond labels. They explore ADHD diagnosis and treatment, productivity mindsets, burnout, AI in mental health, and practical routines for focus and balance.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:09 Meet Dr. Courtney Tolinski
01:46 Supporting ne
941: Is Responsible AI Possible? with Dr. Sarah Bird of Microsoft
Scott heads to Microsoft’s campus for the VS Code Insider Summit to sit down with Dr. Sarah Bird and explore what “Responsible AI” really means for developers. From protecting user privacy to keeping humans in the loop, they dig into how everyday coders can play a role in shaping AI’s future.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:27 Brought to you by Sentry.io.
03:13 The path the machine
940: Picking a Fullstack Stack, Is Next.js Too Complex? Services vs Self-Hosted + More
In this potluck episode, Wes and Scott answer your questions about modern full-stack stacks, Node.js backend options, managing database indexes, developer burnout, handling toxic bosses, and more!
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
02:36 What’s your go-to Node.js backend in 2025?
Polka
06:18 Do you proactively manage database indexes—or fix them only when they become a problem?
09:
939: Creator of Vite: Evan You
Scott and Wes sit down with Evan You, creator of Vue, Vite, and VoidZero, to dig into the future of frontend tooling. From the speed of Rolldown to why he chose Rust, they explore the evolution of developer experience, bundlers, and what’s next for the web.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:31 Who is Evan You?
Vue.js.
Vite.
Void0
01:19 Making the shift from UI to Toolchains.
938: Hot Takes + Bike Shedding
Wes and Scott dive into some hot takes and classic debates—tabs vs spaces, camel vs snake case, export styles, barrel files, variable naming, and more.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
01:26 CSS variables: descriptive vs. semantic
03:38 snake_case vs. camelCase
04:54 Default exports vs. named exports
06:23 Barrel files vs. direct imports
09:15 Function declaration vs. function ex
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