If you work for a company that doesn't give you Sudo on your own machine as a developer by default, find a new job
Don't work for companies that still treat their professionals like children.
If your employer won't give you the tools you need to do your job you should find another one. If your IT/security department is there to block you instead of help you get work done, you should also find a new job. I'm not saying walk out the door today, just that you don't deserve to be treated like that.
2010 edit an html button:
0. Install an ftp client (you need to mention that if you mention installing git)
1. pull the file from ftp or sourcesafe/svn
2. edit the button
3. upload to ftp
2020 edit an html button:
1. clone the code 2. edit the html button 3. commit changes
Old software sucked a lot, and automation sucked a lot. Weird issues where you HAD to know what went wrong, because handholding was looked down upon. The lack of automation meant that servers were pets, you looked after them, groomed them, maybe even sang a song to get the piece of junk going. Modern automation means you mostly care about the blueprint, not the actual instance. If it's not working properly, you reimage. If you need more, fire up more instances.
Also, what can you do on the frontend only? I have two examples from the top of my head:
I was talking specifically about React. But it's not a surprise that "modern front end" devs conflate React with JavaScript.
Getting back to the point, my simplepdf.eu example is indeed using React - according to Builtwith, it's built with Next.js, which is used to build React applications.
obviously sarcastic. most of the things you are complaining about bring to mind a person who is bored of doing responsible coding.
also it's over-saturated as hell. you think there's high demand, you're right, now try applying for a position and see how it goes.
there are two types of roles in modern web dev:
1 .90% of jobs are code monkey work: extremely saturated, you are competing with global workforce who will work for half your salary or less. i will get downvoted, probably cos there so many bootcampers and others who don't like to hear this reality.
2. 10% of jobs at top tier tech companies that pay the top salaries. good luck with the 10 stage interviews, aptitude exam, leetcoding and then getting ghosted.
the complexity itself just comes from the amount of steps required to do something trivial:
2010 edit an html button:
1. pull the file from ftp or sourcesafe/svn
2. edit the button
3. upload to ftp
2020 edit an html button:
1. install git
2. install npm, node
3. clone and install the code
4. deal with myriad node js errors
5. deal with myriad deprecation warnings and other issues in npm
6. start local environment
6.1 local requires docker
6.2 install docker
6.3 try to start docker
7. docker requires sudo
8. request sudo from IT
9. fill a form explaining why you need sudo
10. install docker
11. start the local environment
12. edit the html button
13. local server not refreshing
14. fix local tooling issues
15. commit changes
16. your changes are 10 commits behind the branch
17. try to merge automatically, cannot be merged
18. make a PR
19. smug know it all "senior" developer with 2 years experiences, gives a bunch of nitpicky comments on the PR and refuses to merge it
20. go back to step 6