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At least on the web, this is a feature, not a bug. It allows the user to modify the page as they see fit. For example, ad blockers or "dark mode" extensions wou
by smichel17 6y ago
At least on the web, this is a feature, not a bug. It allows the user to modify the page as they see fit. For example, ad blockers or "dark mode" extensions would have a much more difficult job if websites were delivered as optimized binaries.
I specify "on the web" because almost all browsers execute the content retrieved from the website with no user interaction besides navigating to a url. Contrast that with operating systems, which all require separate download + run steps (and often a bit flip in between, to mark the file as executable). That's a lot more friction / time for the user to notice if something is not as they expect or want.
- MaxBarraclough 6y agoI agree it makes sense on the web, which is ultimately a document system, but for a native desktop application I figure it makes good sense to compile away as much as possible.
- smichel17 6y agoAgreed on that front — especially since you can distribute the source in addition to the binary so that users can make changes & recompile if they want.