Here's my theory. When I was learning programming early on, then later on with specific languages, almost all the problems I'd run in to were "solved problems" - I just didn't know the answers. With enough searching, testing, querying, asking, I'd generally find the 'right' way to do X, and move on.
I've grown more conservative over time, but other people tend to continue to operate with the idea that with enough searching/testing/querying, there will always be 'the' answer which will solve all their issues. Not picking on node specifically, but choosing that a year ago or so as the platform to write a production system in seems hopelessly naive. I suspect that some of the people involved had this unconscious idea that, with enough work, the 'right' answer would magically appear, and they'd move on to the next problem. Turns out that's not what happens when choosing bleeding edge tech, but I'm not sure it's a lesson everyone learns (and I suspect it's a maxim not everyone really cares about anyway).
I've grown more conservative over time, but other people tend to continue to operate with the idea that with enough searching/testing/querying, there will always be 'the' answer which will solve all their issues. Not picking on node specifically, but choosing that a year ago or so as the platform to write a production system in seems hopelessly naive. I suspect that some of the people involved had this unconscious idea that, with enough work, the 'right' answer would magically appear, and they'd move on to the next problem. Turns out that's not what happens when choosing bleeding edge tech, but I'm not sure it's a lesson everyone learns (and I suspect it's a maxim not everyone really cares about anyway).