resource-curator

Skill: Resource Curator for Concept Pages

Use this skill to find, evaluate, add, and maintain high-quality external resources (articles, videos, courses) for concept documentation pages. This includes auditing existing resources for broken links and outdated content.

When to Use

• Adding resources to a new concept page
• Refreshing resources on existing pages
• Auditing for broken or outdated links
• Reviewing community-contributed resources
• Periodic link maintenance

Resource Curation Methodology

Follow these five phases for comprehensive resource curation.

Phase 1: Audit Existing Resources

Before adding new resources, audit what's already there:

1. Check link accessibility — Does each link return 200?
2. Verify content accuracy — Is the content still correct?
3. Check publication dates — Is it too old for the topic?
4. Identify outdated content — Does it use old syntax/patterns?
5. Review descriptions — Are they specific or generic?

Phase 2: Identify Resource Gaps

Compare current resources against targets:

Section	Target Count	Icon
Reference	2-4 MDN links	book
Articles	4-6 articles	newspaper
Videos	3-4 videos	video
Courses	1-3 (optional)	graduation-cap
Books	1-2 (optional)	book

Ask:

• Are there enough resources for beginners AND advanced learners?
• Is there visual content (diagrams, animations)?
• Are official references (MDN) included?
• Is there diversity in teaching styles?

Phase 3: Find New Resources

Search trusted sources using targeted queries:

For Articles:

[concept] javascript tutorial site:javascript.info
[concept] javascript explained site:freecodecamp.org
[concept] javascript site:dev.to
[concept] javascript deep dive site:2ality.com
[concept] javascript guide site:css-tricks.com

For Videos:

YouTube: [concept] javascript explained
YouTube: [concept] javascript tutorial
YouTube: jsconf [concept]
YouTube: [concept] javascript fireship
YouTube: [concept] javascript web dev simplified

For MDN:

[concept] site:developer.mozilla.org
[API name] MDN

Phase 4: Write Descriptions

Every resource needs a specific, valuable description:

Formula:

Sentence 1: What makes this resource unique OR what it specifically covers
Sentence 2: Why reader should click (what they'll gain, who it's best for)

Phase 5: Format and Organize

• Use correct Card syntax with proper icons
• Order resources logically (foundational first, advanced later)
• Ensure consistent formatting

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Trusted Sources

Reference Sources (Priority Order)

Priority	Source	URL	Best For
1	MDN Web Docs	developer.mozilla.org	API docs, guides, compatibility
2	ECMAScript Spec	tc39.es/ecma262	Authoritative behavior
3	Node.js Docs	nodejs.org/docs	Node-specific APIs
4	Web.dev	web.dev	Performance, best practices
5	Can I Use	caniuse.com	Browser compatibility

Article Sources (Priority Order)

Priority	Source	Why Trusted
1	javascript.info	Comprehensive, exercises, well-maintained
2	MDN Guides	Official, accurate, regularly updated
3	freeCodeCamp	Beginner-friendly, practical
4	2ality (Dr. Axel)	Deep technical dives, spec-focused
5	CSS-Tricks	DOM, visual topics, well-written
6	dev.to (Lydia Hallie)	Visual explanations, animations
7	LogRocket Blog	Practical tutorials, real-world
8	Smashing Magazine	In-depth, well-researched
9	Digital Ocean	Clear tutorials, examples
10	Kent C. Dodds	Testing, React, best practices

Video Creators (Priority Order)

Priority	Creator	Style	Best For
1	Fireship	Fast, modern, entertaining	Quick overviews, modern JS
2	Web Dev Simplified	Clear, beginner-friendly	Beginners, fundamentals
3	Fun Fun Function	Deep-dives, personality	Understanding "why"
4	Traversy Media	Comprehensive crash courses	Full topic coverage
5	JSConf/dotJS	Expert conference talks	Advanced, in-depth
6	Academind	Thorough explanations	Complete understanding
7	The Coding Train	Creative, visual	Visual learners
8	Wes Bos	Practical, real-world	Applied learning
9	The Net Ninja	Step-by-step tutorials	Following along
10	Programming with Mosh	Professional, clear	Career-focused

Course Sources

Source	Type	Notes
javascript.info	Free	Comprehensive, exercises
Piccalilli	Free	Well-written, modern
freeCodeCamp	Free	Project-based
Frontend Masters	Paid	Expert instructors
Egghead.io	Paid	Short, focused lessons
Udemy (top-rated)	Paid	Check reviews carefully
Codecademy	Freemium	Interactive

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Quality Criteria

Must Have (Required)

• Link works — Returns 200 (not 404, 301, 5xx)
• JavaScript-focused — Not primarily about C#, Python, Java, etc.
• Technically accurate — No factual errors or anti-patterns
• Accessible — Free or has meaningful free preview

Should Have (Preferred)

• Recent enough — See publication date guidelines below
• Reputable source — From trusted sources list or well-known creator
• Unique perspective — Not duplicate of existing resources
• Appropriate depth — Matches concept complexity
• Good engagement — Positive comments, high views (for videos)

Red Flags (Reject)

Red Flag	Why It Matters
Uses var everywhere	Outdated for ES6+ topics
Teaches anti-patterns	Harmful to learners
Primarily other languages	Wrong focus
Hard paywall (no preview)	Inaccessible
Pre-2015 for modern topics	Likely outdated
Low quality comments	Often indicates issues
Factual errors	Spreads misinformation
Clickbait title, thin content	Wastes reader time

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Publication Date Guidelines

Topic Category	Minimum Year	Reasoning
ES6+ Features	2015+	ES6 released June 2015
Promises	2015+	Native Promises in ES6
async/await	2017+	ES2017 feature
ES Modules	2018+	Stable browser support
Optional chaining (?.)	2020+	ES2020 feature
Nullish coalescing (??)	2020+	ES2020 feature
Top-level await	2022+	ES2022 feature
Fundamentals (closures, scope, this)	Any	Core concepts don't change
DOM manipulation	2018+	Modern APIs preferred
Fetch API	2017+	Widespread support

Rule of thumb: For time-sensitive topics, prefer content from the last 3-5 years. For fundamentals, older classic content is often excellent.

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Description Writing Guide

The Formula

Sentence 1: What makes this resource unique OR what it specifically covers
Sentence 2: Why reader should click (what they'll gain, who it's best for)

Good Examples

<Card title="JavaScript Visualized: Promises & Async/Await — Lydia Hallie" icon="newspaper" href="https://dev.to/lydiahallie/javascript-visualized-promises-async-await-5gke">
  Animated GIFs showing the call stack, microtask queue, and event loop in action. 
  The visuals make Promise execution order finally click for visual learners.
</Card>

<Card title="What the heck is the event loop anyway? — Philip Roberts" icon="video" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aGhZQkoFbQ">
  The legendary JSConf talk that made the event loop click for millions of developers. 
  Philip Roberts' live visualizations are the gold standard — a must-watch.
</Card>

<Card title="You Don't Know JS: Scope & Closures — Kyle Simpson" icon="book" href="https://github.com/getify/You-Dont-Know-JS/blob/2nd-ed/scope-closures/README.md">
  Kyle Simpson's deep dive into JavaScript's scope mechanics and closure behavior. 
  Goes beyond the basics into edge cases and mental models for truly understanding scope.
</Card>

<Card title="JavaScript Promises in 10 Minutes — Web Dev Simplified" icon="video" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHvZLI7Db8E">
  Quick, clear explanation covering Promise creation, chaining, and error handling. 
  Perfect starting point if you're new to async JavaScript.
</Card>

<Card title="How to Escape Async/Await Hell — Aditya Agarwal" icon="newspaper" href="https://medium.com/free-code-camp/avoiding-the-async-await-hell-c77a0fb71c4c">
  The pizza-and-drinks ordering analogy makes parallel vs sequential execution crystal clear. 
  Essential reading once you know async/await basics but want to write faster code.
</Card>

Bad Examples (Avoid)

<!-- TOO GENERIC -->
<Card title="Promises Tutorial" icon="newspaper" href="...">
  A comprehensive guide to Promises in JavaScript.
</Card>

<!-- NO VALUE PROPOSITION -->
<Card title="Learn Closures" icon="video" href="...">
  This video explains closures in JavaScript.
</Card>

<!-- VAGUE, NO SPECIFICS -->
<Card title="JavaScript Guide" icon="newspaper" href="...">
  Everything you need to know about JavaScript.
</Card>

<!-- JUST RESTATING THE TITLE -->
<Card title="Understanding the Event Loop" icon="video" href="...">
  A video about understanding the event loop.
</Card>

Words and Phrases to Avoid

Avoid	Why	Use Instead
"comprehensive guide to..."	Vague, overused	Specify what's covered
"learn all about..."	Generic	What specifically will they learn?
"everything you need to know..."	Hyperbolic	Be specific
"great tutorial on..."	Subjective filler	Why is it great?
"explains X"	Too basic	How does it explain? What's unique?
"in-depth look at..."	Vague	What depth? What aspect?

Words and Phrases That Work

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