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"If the 90s "slowly reinvented UNIX", then the correct thing to do would be for the web today to either be a fully modern 2017-worthy technology, or at least ta

"If the 90s "slowly reinvented UNIX", then the correct thing to do would be for the web today to either be a fully modern 2017-worthy technology, or at least take its starting point from where the 90s ENDED, not re-invent the 90s." Since when has an inexperienced mob of people ever done the correct thing on the first try? And, yet, the mob has continued the very fine legacy of those 90s (and 80s and 70s) software developers in pushing software into more places it's never been before. Somehow, it's working, despite the relative ignorance and stupidity of the average developer (myself included) in their understanding of history. I think I'm being misinterpreted as saying the web is great because it has no flaws. Which is not my intention. The web has many ugly flaws. The web is great because of what it does despite those flaws. And, also, a lot of those flaws come down to inexperience, which we can't cure with technology. It seems likely it can only be cured by making the same dumb mistakes a few times until it becomes collective wisdom that it was a dumb mistake...the kind that gets beaten out of programmers very early during their learning process. I guess I'm just more optimistic about the web-as-platform than most. I see all its flaws, I just don't think they should result in a death sentence. But, if you show me something better, I'll gladly participate.

blub 9y ago
Better for what? The web is getting worse and worse for the users. Before this JavaScript craze it was predictable, bookmarkable, usable and reasonably performant. Now it's slow, burns your battery, it's full of ads/tracking and anti-patterns like infinite scroll or SPAs and view source is useless. For me, a site like HN or amazon (with some reservations) is the pinnacle of what the web is able to offer.
coldtea 9y ago
>Since when has an inexperienced mob of people ever done the correct thing on the first try? Only web standards are not created by an "inexperienced mob of people" but by large multinationals, multiple CS PhDs, and seasoned developers. And if we consider every generation of new developers an "inexperienced mob of people", then we have absolutely no claim to ever being called an industry and engineers. >And, yet, the mob has continued the very fine legacy of those 90s (and 80s and 70s) software developers in pushing software into more places it's never been before. Somehow, it's working Working in what? Mobile apps, counting in the millions, have actually "pushed software into more places it's never been before", and most of those are usually native, or done with non-web technologies (of course web stacks encroach there too). For most people, those mobile apps on their smartphones is how they interact most of the time with the internet, not www, even if they have a laptop at home or at work. For younger people even more so. >But, if you show me something better, I'll gladly participate. Better things come from people feeling the need to create them. They don't appear on their own, and people migrate to them. Else people can be stuck with the same BS for decades, centuries or millennia (consider dynasties ruling for centuries before the people of some country attempt to bring them down in favor of democracy).

blub 9y ago

Better for what? The web is getting worse and worse for the users. Before this JavaScript craze it was predictable, bookmarkable, usable and reasonably performant. Now it's slow, burns your battery, it's full of ads/tracking and anti-patterns like infinite scroll or SPAs and view source is useless. For me, a site like HN or amazon (with some reservations) is the pinnacle of what the web is able to offer.

coldtea 9y ago

>Since when has an inexperienced mob of people ever done the correct thing on the first try? Only web standards are not created by an "inexperienced mob of people" but by large multinationals, multiple CS PhDs, and seasoned developers. And if we consider every generation of new developers an "inexperienced mob of people", then we have absolutely no claim to ever being called an industry and engineers. >And, yet, the mob has continued the very fine legacy of those 90s (and 80s and 70s) software developers in pushing software into more places it's never been before. Somehow, it's working Working in what? Mobile apps, counting in the millions, have actually "pushed software into more places it's never been before", and most of those are usually native, or done with non-web technologies (of course web stacks encroach there too). For most people, those mobile apps on their smartphones is how they interact most of the time with the internet, not www, even if they have a laptop at home or at work. For younger people even more so. >But, if you show me something better, I'll gladly participate. Better things come from people feeling the need to create them. They don't appear on their own, and people migrate to them. Else people can be stuck with the same BS for decades, centuries or millennia (consider dynasties ruling for centuries before the people of some country attempt to bring them down in favor of democracy).