For example, if you write long running services in node then optimising for memory allocation in order to avoid leaks is a good idea. It's less useful for clientside things that generally don't run for nearly as long. Conversely, if you write isomorphic JS that can run in the browser but also needs to run on the server for that first-load advantage, then you'd prefer if things work the same everywhere.
Neither school is 'right' per se. How a language ought to evolve is incredibly subjective.