You know that saying, “if you want it done right, you’ve got to do it yourself?” When it comes to software development, I say, “not if it isn’t your core product.” In other words, don’t write an entire JavaScript library or CMS by yourself if your focus is building websites for clients.
Third parties like the YUI and jQuery teams for example have huge user bases who field test and report bugs far more rigorously than any in-house QA regimen can ever hope to. And since the YUI and jQuery libraries are their respective teams’ core products, they do nothing but build, debug and maintain them full time, which is far more than any in-house team could hope to do. And if a dedicated in-house team is put together to focus strictly on a non-core product, then it will at a direct cost to the company. And what do you do when you need another library to answer another need? Build another team? That’s hardly a cost-effective solution.
Bottom line, whether it’s a JavaScript library, a CMS, a utility or a service. Whatever your need, if a third party does it and offers it either for free or at a nominal fee, you’re much better off going with them than doing it yourself.
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