Which Web Technologies Are Worth Learning? A Practical Guide to Avoid Wasting Time

Technologies Not Worth Learning

1. Ruby | Ruby on Rails

Ruby was once hyped as a world‑changing framework, but despite its recent 2.6.8 release, almost no Chinese companies use it, making the time spent learning it largely wasted.

2. AngularJS | Angular

AngularJS (1.x) and Angular (2+) are rarely used in China; even though they are considered one of the "three major frameworks" alongside Vue and React, the job market for Angular engineers is minimal.

3. jQuery

jQuery was once indispensable, but modern browsers and ES6+ fully cover its functionality, so learning it now only helps maintain legacy code and offers little career value.

4. Ember.js

Ember was once a top‑three framework, yet its community has collapsed and companies rarely hire Ember engineers; focusing on Vue or React is far more beneficial.

5. React Class Components

Before Hooks, React required class‑based components, but the ecosystem has shifted to functional components; learning class syntax now only serves legacy maintenance.

6. PHP

PHP once dominated web development, but with JavaScript and Node.js handling most back‑end needs, learning PHP is only worthwhile if you target a company that still relies heavily on it.

7. Deno

Despite its modern features and the creator’s reputation, Deno’s ecosystem and enterprise adoption remain minimal, making it a risky investment unless you are certain it will become mainstream soon.

How to Judge Whether a Technology Is Worth Learning

1. Look at Job Demand

Search job boards (e.g., Boss, Zhilian) for required skills. Prioritize technologies that appear frequently in job descriptions; ignore those with few or no openings.

2. Check Ecosystem Activity

Inspect GitHub repository updates and star counts.

Review npm download trends.

Observe new questions and answers on Stack Overflow, Juejin, SegmentFault.

A stagnant community usually signals a technology is fading.

3. Evaluate Real‑World Problem Solving

If you have a project, learn the tool that directly solves your current problem.

If you are preparing for interviews, focus on mainstream technologies that boost your résumé.

Learning with a clear goal ensures the knowledge is useful.

Final Advice: Master the mainstream front‑end ecosystems (Vue or React) first; consider other technologies later based on specific job requirements or personal interest.