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This may be an unpopular opinion: I'm very grateful for all browsers to switch to WebExtensions. To me, for the web to win as a platform, standards are a must.

This may be an unpopular opinion: I'm very grateful for all browsers to switch to WebExtensions. To me, for the web to win as a platform, standards are a must. I'm a new WebExtension indie dev. I just launched my first extension on the Chrome, Firefox, Edge stores. Opera is in review. Safari 14 took 15 minutes and 1 commend, just waiting for it to drop. I couldn't have shipped this quickly by myself if not for the WebExtensions standard. It leaves me time to focus on building what users want and telling users about what I built. Yes I did have to settle for less developer power and control. I'm totally ok with it. Feel free to AMA! [0] https://twitter.com/rayshan/status/1292270249362956288 https://twitter.com/rayshan/status/1292270249362956288

0xffff2 6y ago
>To me, for the web to win as a platform, standards are a must. What does that mean exactly? What are the other platforms that the web is competing against?
- ebruchez 6y ago
  iOS and Android native apps with their walled gardens.
  - 0xffff2 6y ago
    Hmm. As a crotchety old man (well, I'm 32, but still), I hadn't even considered mobile. I was thinking Windows/macOS/Linux native apps as the probable alternatives. In either case though, I think this is just one more reason to hate Web Extensions. I don't want browsers to win over native applications. (Of course "applications" that are little more than a bundled browser are even worse, whether on mobile or desktop.)
    - rayshan 6y ago
      @ebruchez is right. Also by win, I really mean to compete head-to-head with the native platforms. I love a good native app as much as anyone. The recent Epic vs. Apple fight shows that we need more open alternatives like the web platform. Ones that are free to develop for and free to distribute. I'm looking at you Apple, charging me $99 for a developer account just to distribute a Safari 14 web extension in the app store.

0xffff2 6y ago

>To me, for the web to win as a platform, standards are a must. What does that mean exactly? What are the other platforms that the web is competing against?

ebruchez 6y ago
iOS and Android native apps with their walled gardens.
- 0xffff2 6y ago
  Hmm. As a crotchety old man (well, I'm 32, but still), I hadn't even considered mobile. I was thinking Windows/macOS/Linux native apps as the probable alternatives. In either case though, I think this is just one more reason to hate Web Extensions. I don't want browsers to win over native applications. (Of course "applications" that are little more than a bundled browser are even worse, whether on mobile or desktop.)
  - rayshan 6y ago
    @ebruchez is right. Also by win, I really mean to compete head-to-head with the native platforms. I love a good native app as much as anyone. The recent Epic vs. Apple fight shows that we need more open alternatives like the web platform. Ones that are free to develop for and free to distribute. I'm looking at you Apple, charging me $99 for a developer account just to distribute a Safari 14 web extension in the app store.