Lots of people are learning js, html and css these days, but to make anything useful they have to download a framework and figure out the stack. Why can't they just post their html/css/js files somewhere and have a working app?
You certainly can just write your html/CSS/js and upload it to your favorite static hosting provider. The command line and IT stuff are just tools in the toolbox. Some tools will help you write more sustainable code by managing your dependancies, or running your unit tests, etc. I usually don't bother to invest the time in learn a new tool until it's clear that it will solve a real problem for me.
Thanks for the words - certainly helps me feel less overwhelmed by all the tools and options out there.
I guess what I am picturing (and can't figure out why it doesn't exist yet) is a cross between github and the real-time editor on sites like codecademy. Basically I want to edit my html/css/js, see what the output looks like, and then push to the server with a click so it's a live app. Is there anything out there I should know about?