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Bytes issue 55, “Kaboom goes the dynamite,” was published on July 5, 2021. It introduces SolidJS and Qwik, then explains its playful title with a Cool Bits link to a video of Ania Kubow coding Mario in JavaScript using Kaboom.js.
What is Bytes issue 55?
Bytes is a JavaScript ecosystem newsletter. Issue 55 is a dated edition, not a current guide to the tools it mentions. Its main feature sections introduce SolidJS and Qwik, while a collection of shorter “Cool Bits” points readers to other projects and articles. The original issue was published July 5, 2021; the Bytes archive corroborates its title and date.
Why is it called “Kaboom goes the dynamite”?
The title comes from a Cool Bits item about a video by Ania Kubow. The issue describes her coding Mario in JavaScript with the Kaboom.js library, then adds: “and Kaboom goes the dynamite.” In other words, the phrase refers to the video and library mention; it does not establish that the newsletter originated the phrase.
What did the issue say about SolidJS?
In its 2021 coverage, Bytes describes Solid as a new JavaScript UI framework and notes its recent v1.0 release at the time. It says Solid offered React-like features while using reactive primitives rather than a virtual DOM. The issue attributes this goal to creator Ryan Carniato: “all the flexibility of React and the simple mental model of Svelte.” That is a statement of the creator’s aim as presented in 2021, not a current evaluation or measured comparison.
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What did it say about Qwik?
Bytes presents Qwik as a new HTML-first framework created by Miško Hevery. It highlights resumability and lazy-loading as design ideas intended to support fast startup and interactivity. Those descriptions capture how the newsletter introduced Qwik in 2021; the issue does not establish Qwik’s current capabilities, maintenance status, or performance.
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What else was mentioned?
The “Cool Bits” section also links to a Fortnite VSCode theme, an article about the State of Web Workers, Principles.dev, Tauri, IndiePen, and GitHub Copilot. These are brief editorial mentions, not evidence that Bytes tested or endorsed each project. The GitHub Copilot item asks, “Does anyone have opinions on this?” The issue also includes a TLDR Newsletter item explicitly marked “[Sponsored]”; that label establishes sponsorship in this edition only.
What the issue does—and does not—establish
Issue 55 is useful as a snapshot of what one JavaScript newsletter highlighted in July 2021. It does not provide a named statistical figure or benchmark result for SolidJS or Qwik, nor a fair current head-to-head comparison. Its framework descriptions and performance language should not be read as present-day findings. The issue also cannot establish current software versions, project maintenance, or the availability of the sponsored newsletter placement.
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