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"Even so, it's safe to say that this approach is miles removed from what native applications offer in terms of performance and maintainability. Markets being wh

"Even so, it's safe to say that this approach is miles removed from what native applications offer in terms of performance and maintainability. Markets being what they are, web applications are in vogue because they earn big money if done well." Disagree. I really do love the speed of native apps, but there's a very good reason the web has become the way most software is delivered. Web apps cost less to build, distribute and maintain for both publisher and user. Web apps are often, but not always, easier to install (just type a url in the browser, press enter, done), easier to learn, more interactive, and more likely to run on the device you own. Native apps are a load of work for both the publisher and user, and that is just to get the app installed and running. Maybe the current web isn't what was envisioned. I'm ok with that.

CaptArmchair 6y ago
Well, you make good points. I don't disagree with you. I'm weary of drawing the discussion towards pitting web apps against native apps in absolute or general terms. I think that would detract things too far from reality. It's a complex debate because the 'right fit' - native or web app - depends on the use case or business case as well as the perspective of the stakeholders involved: developers, business owners, customers and users. The many trade off's each and every stakeholder has to make are what sparks tensions and debate. Speed is just one of those. It's true that web applications have set a new bar as far as customer / user convenience as well as application maintenance are concerned. But then there are also trade off's regarding privacy, confidentiality, security, legal compliance, accountability, trust, expenses,... There's also reliability / availability of a services, and there's even a moral question regarding energy consumption tied to operating data centers. Again, I'm not going to take position on those in absolute terms. Rather, I think it's very much valid to look at your own business case or use cases and keep taking native applications into consideration as well, rather then dismissing them outright as yesteryear's technology. > Maybe the current web isn't what was envisioned. I'm ok with that. Oh, I'm okay with that as well. It's interesting to see you use the phrase "current Web" because what is the "current Web" exactly? In the vast majority of discussions, it tends to be reduced to the well known big tech companies and their products. For many the "current Web" is mainly Reddit, HN, StackOverflow, LinkedIn, Medium,... For others, the "current Web" might be a plethora of self-hosted websites which they have bookmarked in text documents. Your mileage really varies depending on who you ask. The Web is far larger then the perception we get from it through our own daily use. And a vast amount of it will remain dark simply because we either can't find it, or because we aren't aware it exists, or because we simply don't look for it's existence.

CaptArmchair 6y ago

Well, you make good points. I don't disagree with you. I'm weary of drawing the discussion towards pitting web apps against native apps in absolute or general terms. I think that would detract things too far from reality. It's a complex debate because the 'right fit' - native or web app - depends on the use case or business case as well as the perspective of the stakeholders involved: developers, business owners, customers and users. The many trade off's each and every stakeholder has to make are what sparks tensions and debate. Speed is just one of those. It's true that web applications have set a new bar as far as customer / user convenience as well as application maintenance are concerned. But then there are also trade off's regarding privacy, confidentiality, security, legal compliance, accountability, trust, expenses,... There's also reliability / availability of a services, and there's even a moral question regarding energy consumption tied to operating data centers. Again, I'm not going to take position on those in absolute terms. Rather, I think it's very much valid to look at your own business case or use cases and keep taking native applications into consideration as well, rather then dismissing them outright as yesteryear's technology. > Maybe the current web isn't what was envisioned. I'm ok with that. Oh, I'm okay with that as well. It's interesting to see you use the phrase "current Web" because what is the "current Web" exactly? In the vast majority of discussions, it tends to be reduced to the well known big tech companies and their products. For many the "current Web" is mainly Reddit, HN, StackOverflow, LinkedIn, Medium,... For others, the "current Web" might be a plethora of self-hosted websites which they have bookmarked in text documents. Your mileage really varies depending on who you ask. The Web is far larger then the perception we get from it through our own daily use. And a vast amount of it will remain dark simply because we either can't find it, or because we aren't aware it exists, or because we simply don't look for it's existence.