I agree with others that the author seems to be missing the point of React. Whether or not it is "reactive" or doing things the way you're supposed to do them is irrelevant. It's a tool, and it either helps you fix your problem, or it doesn't. IMHO React helps a lot.
I've built a few non-trivial apps with React this year (e.g., https://github.com/robmclarty/barss), and after years spent building and maintaining apps made with backbone, angular, jquery, and other libraries (considering the domain of React => the view) I can easily say that React has saved oodles of time, allowed me to greatly understand my apps as a whole much more clearly, and enabled me to think less about propping up a structure for my app and focus on actually designing my app.
The point is, it's not about what's passive or reactive or [insert enlightened path to programming here]. It's about what works; what keeps the ball rolling; what gets your app online and in front of users.
When it's snowing outside and I'm making a decision about what I should cover my feet with, I'm concerned about "what will keep my feet dry?". When I'm moving across town into a new apartment, I'm concerned with "what will have enough volume to transport all my junk?". When I'm making an app, I'm concerned with "what will make this design in my head work in a browser?". Whether I wear boots or shoes, whether I use a diesel truck or a gasoline van, or whether I use React or Whatever; that's not what's important.
I like that React doesn't drag me into event-listener hell where stuff is firing from somewhere that I don't know where. I like that React compartmentalizes templates with the behaviours that manipulate them. I like that React passively alters itself based on state changes.
When it comes down to it, an app is, simply, an interface for mutating and presenting data. It can be in one of many possible states at any given time. React just presents a view of the app that is based on its current state of data. With React, all I have to worry about, conceptually, is "what's the data?" and my app reconfigures its presentation accordingly.
TL;DR At the end of the day it doesn't matter what's right or wrong, it matters what realizes your intentions as a programmer (and as a human). The way React works makes my job easier, more productive, and faster. It doesn't suck at all.
I've built a few non-trivial apps with React this year (e.g., https://github.com/robmclarty/barss), and after years spent building and maintaining apps made with backbone, angular, jquery, and other libraries (considering the domain of React => the view) I can easily say that React has saved oodles of time, allowed me to greatly understand my apps as a whole much more clearly, and enabled me to think less about propping up a structure for my app and focus on actually designing my app.
The point is, it's not about what's passive or reactive or [insert enlightened path to programming here]. It's about what works; what keeps the ball rolling; what gets your app online and in front of users.
When it's snowing outside and I'm making a decision about what I should cover my feet with, I'm concerned about "what will keep my feet dry?". When I'm moving across town into a new apartment, I'm concerned with "what will have enough volume to transport all my junk?". When I'm making an app, I'm concerned with "what will make this design in my head work in a browser?". Whether I wear boots or shoes, whether I use a diesel truck or a gasoline van, or whether I use React or Whatever; that's not what's important.
I like that React doesn't drag me into event-listener hell where stuff is firing from somewhere that I don't know where. I like that React compartmentalizes templates with the behaviours that manipulate them. I like that React passively alters itself based on state changes.
When it comes down to it, an app is, simply, an interface for mutating and presenting data. It can be in one of many possible states at any given time. React just presents a view of the app that is based on its current state of data. With React, all I have to worry about, conceptually, is "what's the data?" and my app reconfigures its presentation accordingly.
TL;DR At the end of the day it doesn't matter what's right or wrong, it matters what realizes your intentions as a programmer (and as a human). The way React works makes my job easier, more productive, and faster. It doesn't suck at all.