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I seriously loathe the people hating on the web. On the web one can preview, debug, and block stuff at each application and network layer. Use Lynx, disable JS,

I seriously loathe the people hating on the web. On the web one can preview, debug, and block stuff at each application and network layer. Use Lynx, disable JS, install ad and tracking blockers, edit hosts file - you are the king. Want to see the true evil? Native Android and iOS applications, there doesn’t exist an alternative platform anymore. You think that app is free? Not even web-style in-app advertisements give you a second thought?

robertAngst 8y ago
Anyone else feeling like there is a resurgence in web? Apps were the hot thing for a while, but now that major players have an app, they have figured out it matters little. I dont do my shopping on the Target App. I'm sure they are getting economic indicators that web on mobile is just as effective.
- AndrewKemendo 8y ago
  In fact I worked on a new retail/mobile product for Target a summer ago and convinced them to specifically focus on mobile web for this exact reason.
- muthdra 8y ago
  Yes, it's been happening for a while. Google and Mozilla have been pushing (sometimes rushing) for more capable web browsers while Apple actively protects the exclusivity of some functionalities of it's app store, to the detriment of Safari users, making them feel an even greater gap between websites and native apps. Originally, smartphones were to be the new way of browsing the web but it turned out to be a new way for OS manufacturers to profit over third-party software because developers had to handcraft a way of accessing their data over the internet from the device given that web browsers were not up to the task of delivering fast, snappy experiences. Developers had to create native apps for the simplest services even if they didn't need the extra functionality and APIs like notifications, background updates or movement sensors. Today, mostly because of the increase in mobile processing power, the difference between a website and an app for trivial tasks (notekeeping, calendar, ordering a product, whatevs) is innofensive and overall imperceptible, making websites a reliable way of providing functionality once again. Browser updates and new APIs will increase the amount of possible trivial services you will be able to access from anything with a browser and up-to-date processing power.
icelancer 8y ago
It's pretty frustrating. The web is infinitely better than the app-based nonsense we have. Desktops are better than mobile devices by orders of magnitude when it comes to productive tasks. It'll shift back over time. Mobile is not going away but there will be a resurgence of desktop usage in the form of the mobile devices being hooked up to dumb terminals or something of the sort, and privacy/usability initiatives will slowly trudge on.
- kllrnohj 8y ago
  The web platform is complete garbage. It's extremely restrictive, outdated, and slow. It has fantastic benefits, particularly in the brief usage long tail category, but it's not an app platform. Stop trying to use it as something it just isn't. There's plenty of room here for both native and web.
  - kowdermeister 8y ago
    This is just wrong, the web is an app platform. It's even more obvious now with WebAssembly support.
SquareWheel 8y ago
I agree completely. It's a particularly common problem on this forum. The web is the most open and accessible platform we have. There's a powerful and fast layout engine. Scripting is open by default, and the client can at any time inspect, block, or modify those scripts to suit their needs. The web is awesome for hackers.
josho 8y ago
The problem is not web vs native apps. The problem is business models that are hostile to consumers / end users.

robertAngst 8y ago

Anyone else feeling like there is a resurgence in web? Apps were the hot thing for a while, but now that major players have an app, they have figured out it matters little. I dont do my shopping on the Target App. I'm sure they are getting economic indicators that web on mobile is just as effective.

AndrewKemendo 8y ago
In fact I worked on a new retail/mobile product for Target a summer ago and convinced them to specifically focus on mobile web for this exact reason.
muthdra 8y ago
Yes, it's been happening for a while. Google and Mozilla have been pushing (sometimes rushing) for more capable web browsers while Apple actively protects the exclusivity of some functionalities of it's app store, to the detriment of Safari users, making them feel an even greater gap between websites and native apps. Originally, smartphones were to be the new way of browsing the web but it turned out to be a new way for OS manufacturers to profit over third-party software because developers had to handcraft a way of accessing their data over the internet from the device given that web browsers were not up to the task of delivering fast, snappy experiences. Developers had to create native apps for the simplest services even if they didn't need the extra functionality and APIs like notifications, background updates or movement sensors. Today, mostly because of the increase in mobile processing power, the difference between a website and an app for trivial tasks (notekeeping, calendar, ordering a product, whatevs) is innofensive and overall imperceptible, making websites a reliable way of providing functionality once again. Browser updates and new APIs will increase the amount of possible trivial services you will be able to access from anything with a browser and up-to-date processing power.

icelancer 8y ago

It's pretty frustrating. The web is infinitely better than the app-based nonsense we have. Desktops are better than mobile devices by orders of magnitude when it comes to productive tasks. It'll shift back over time. Mobile is not going away but there will be a resurgence of desktop usage in the form of the mobile devices being hooked up to dumb terminals or something of the sort, and privacy/usability initiatives will slowly trudge on.

kllrnohj 8y ago
The web platform is complete garbage. It's extremely restrictive, outdated, and slow. It has fantastic benefits, particularly in the brief usage long tail category, but it's not an app platform. Stop trying to use it as something it just isn't. There's plenty of room here for both native and web.
- kowdermeister 8y ago
  This is just wrong, the web is an app platform. It's even more obvious now with WebAssembly support.

SquareWheel 8y ago

I agree completely. It's a particularly common problem on this forum. The web is the most open and accessible platform we have. There's a powerful and fast layout engine. Scripting is open by default, and the client can at any time inspect, block, or modify those scripts to suit their needs. The web is awesome for hackers.

josho 8y ago

The problem is not web vs native apps. The problem is business models that are hostile to consumers / end users.