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> HN seems to have a bias against web applications which is probably unfair. It may be unfair, but I think part of it is a pushback against the cultural zeitge

> HN seems to have a bias against web applications which is probably unfair. It may be unfair, but I think part of it is a pushback against the cultural zeitgeist that the web is meant as a platform to deliver content to passive users. If web authors assume that users are out there to just passively consume content, then yes most of the web will just be elaborately designed applications designed to guide the passive user. > All they can do is assert preferences. At the end of the day, traffic does the talking. I think this simplification is part of the problem. Traffic doesn't dictate anything. Just because The Bachelor receives more eyeballs than War and Peace doesn't mean that The Bachelor is a superior product to War and Peace, or conversely that War and Peace is a better product than The Bachelor. Each has its place in our species' cultural milieu. The web has a growing culture of trying to erase media plurality and embrace a single hot, or dominant form of publishing, and I think this specifically leads to the outgrowth of these sorts of big flamewars. Different forms of media can coexist, and traffic isn't the only mark of success.

zomglings 6y ago
Your reply really made me think - you are absolutely correct about traffic not being the end all and be all measure of successful content. Thank you for pulling me out of the echo chamber. :) It isn't just about guiding passive users through content, though. My comment was motivated by a little dilemma that I have been wrestling with: I'm building a search engine and have written the first version as a React app. I've been wondering if we shouldn't switch to a more traditional web page structure. Drew's post made me realize that I want to give my users - not passive - an application experience so it's okay to stick with the current setup.
- Karrot_Kream 6y ago
  > Drew's post made me realize that I want to give my users - not passive - an application experience so it's okay to stick with the current setup. Yup, and I think that's fine! I love using the web applications that I do use. I think we just need to take a hard look at what should be an application and what shouldn't, especially given the target audience. Having SPAs with infinite scroll to display a blog post really is just unnecessary.

zomglings 6y ago

Your reply really made me think - you are absolutely correct about traffic not being the end all and be all measure of successful content. Thank you for pulling me out of the echo chamber. :) It isn't just about guiding passive users through content, though. My comment was motivated by a little dilemma that I have been wrestling with: I'm building a search engine and have written the first version as a React app. I've been wondering if we shouldn't switch to a more traditional web page structure. Drew's post made me realize that I want to give my users - not passive - an application experience so it's okay to stick with the current setup.

Karrot_Kream 6y ago
> Drew's post made me realize that I want to give my users - not passive - an application experience so it's okay to stick with the current setup. Yup, and I think that's fine! I love using the web applications that I do use. I think we just need to take a hard look at what should be an application and what shouldn't, especially given the target audience. Having SPAs with infinite scroll to display a blog post really is just unnecessary.