4 ms·

The word web comes in when “browser” is short for “web browser”. I can’t believe I had to explain that. As for the second issue: users care because performance

The word web comes in when “browser” is short for “web browser”. I can’t believe I had to explain that. As for the second issue: users care because performance is worse, accessibility is by and large non-existent and platform features don’t work. For example: macOS has tabbed windows at the core - any document based app gets it automatically. How does that work out for electron apps?

themarkn 9y ago
> I can’t believe I had to explain that. You didn't really have to. I guess I made my point badly. The fact that a "web browser" is somewhere in the chain of what is reading an application does not mean that the application itself has anything to do with "the web", so I think calling it a web app is confusing and pointless. And again, seems like a technicality. > As for the second issue: users care because performance is worse, accessibility is by and large non-existent and platform features don’t work. I agree with this in general. It doesn't mean it helps the user to call it a web app. Maybe we need a third, generic term for electron apps and others like them. A name that refers to the potential differences in performance, accessibility, and performance that users may notice? Web app doesn't work for what you are talking about as far as I can tell. Of course this is an industry where terms and definitions change a lot.
- stephenr 9y ago
  > The fact that a "web browser" is somewhere in the chain of what is reading an application does not mean that the application itself has anything to do with "the web", so I think calling it a web app is confusing and pointless. In a discussion of 'native apps vs web apps' it absolutely makes a difference that Electron apps are rendered by a browser's web view - they're basically a web page rendered by a local source not remote, but without any of the sandboxing that proper browsers employ for security. > Maybe we need a third, generic term for electron apps and others like them. A name that refers to the potential differences in performance, accessibility, and performance that users may notice? Sure. Shit Apps (tm).
  - themarkn 9y ago
    > In a discussion of 'native apps vs web apps' it absolutely makes a difference that Electron apps are rendered by a browser's web view - they're basically a web page rendered by a local source not remote, but without any of the sandboxing that proper browsers employ for security. Those are also reasons not to call them web apps though: web apps run in your browser of choice (ish) with all of the associated security and accessibility defaults, plus your extensions and whatnot. They are apps on the web. > Shit Apps You can do better.
    - stephenr 9y ago
      > You can do better. More importantly, so can desktop application developers.

themarkn 9y ago

> I can’t believe I had to explain that. You didn't really have to. I guess I made my point badly. The fact that a "web browser" is somewhere in the chain of what is reading an application does not mean that the application itself has anything to do with "the web", so I think calling it a web app is confusing and pointless. And again, seems like a technicality. > As for the second issue: users care because performance is worse, accessibility is by and large non-existent and platform features don’t work. I agree with this in general. It doesn't mean it helps the user to call it a web app. Maybe we need a third, generic term for electron apps and others like them. A name that refers to the potential differences in performance, accessibility, and performance that users may notice? Web app doesn't work for what you are talking about as far as I can tell. Of course this is an industry where terms and definitions change a lot.

stephenr 9y ago
> The fact that a "web browser" is somewhere in the chain of what is reading an application does not mean that the application itself has anything to do with "the web", so I think calling it a web app is confusing and pointless. In a discussion of 'native apps vs web apps' it absolutely makes a difference that Electron apps are rendered by a browser's web view - they're basically a web page rendered by a local source not remote, but without any of the sandboxing that proper browsers employ for security. > Maybe we need a third, generic term for electron apps and others like them. A name that refers to the potential differences in performance, accessibility, and performance that users may notice? Sure. Shit Apps (tm).
- themarkn 9y ago
  > In a discussion of 'native apps vs web apps' it absolutely makes a difference that Electron apps are rendered by a browser's web view - they're basically a web page rendered by a local source not remote, but without any of the sandboxing that proper browsers employ for security. Those are also reasons not to call them web apps though: web apps run in your browser of choice (ish) with all of the associated security and accessibility defaults, plus your extensions and whatnot. They are apps on the web. > Shit Apps You can do better.
  - stephenr 9y ago
    > You can do better. More importantly, so can desktop application developers.