I am confused as to whether it is acceptable to use code produced by other people for something that is related to me and my creations. Do i have to resort to coding my portfolio website with pure css and js to demonstrate my credibility and experience as a candidate employee? Does the ideology of ‘using other people’s tools to create a better product’ apply here in this context, or would it be considered plagiarism? Is there some sort of gradient as to how much i should use third party tools for my website for it be ethically appropriate, if it all?
Everyone has good answers but I would check the license of more obscure libraries to just be sure you’re not violating it. GitHub has a handy feature that explains the license (if one exists) in easy to understand terms. I’ve never ran into this issue myself but it’s a good habit to have. Especially when you’re working for a company.
Would you use them when building things for a client? If yes, then yes. No one gets mad at a carpenter for buying nails.