4 ms·

Why do these things even need to be an SPA? What function does that serve when the standardized and infinitely more compatible form-with-a-bit-of-javascript app

by tomc1985 6y ago

Why do these things even need to be an SPA? What function does that serve when the standardized and infinitely more compatible form-with-a-bit-of-javascript approach works just as well if not better? I work on one such project and it absolutely drives me nuts -- it's a rails app, but the customer front-end (which is literally just a form to fill out) is a React SPA. There is nothing there that couldn't be done with Turbolinks and some light JS for validations/popups.

polynomial 6y ago
How can a government contractor reasonably justify a price tag that's on par with fancy bloated non-government sites, for an no nonsense form + js approach?
- toast0 6y ago
  Costs the same as what you would otherwise pay, plus it actually works?
  - davemp 6y ago
    > plus it actually works That’s the problem. Maintenance is big money for government contractors.
  - vram22 6y ago
    >plus it actually works? Heh. "That was the most unkindest cut of all." https://www.google.com/search?q=unkindest+cut+of+all+quote https://www.google.com/search?q=unkindest+cut+of+all+quote Also, "the emperor's new clothes". Both relevant.
- danjac 6y ago
  Because they're a business that will charge as much as they can absolutely get away with and will do their best to make the project and maintenance costs as bloated as possible. The question is why there aren't people in the government with either the technical ability or the political clout to audit and push back at any point in the project.
- kitsune_ 6y ago
  It's really the people writing the requirements who are driving a lot of these things. Customers are used to Gmail, FB etc. and want similar experiences.
murm 6y ago
When the only tool you know is a hammer you tend to just go around smashing things
pas 6y ago
Because that's the mainstream, that's what's easy to procure, hire for, negotiate with vendors, that's the default, the preferred, the future proof, the supported. And the tech doesn't really matter. I hate React with a passion, because Angular is so much more sane - in my experience. But it's fine. It's mature, it can be made to perform completely well. The tech doesn't really matter. The people doesn't matter either. Even the costs doesn't matter as much as people think. What matters is political will, procurement culture, so systems and structures. This will influence (and bring) all the others in line.
- JohnBooty 6y ago
  Depressingly correct. Variations of "nobody ever got fired for buying IBM", repeated forever.
  - DaiPlusPlus 6y ago
    No-one got fired for writing an SPA, but we did decide not to renew the contract for the next major update.
- throwawayboise 6y ago
  > the future proof No, not that.
novok 6y ago
Because they want to program like they are mobile apps

polynomial 6y ago

How can a government contractor reasonably justify a price tag that's on par with fancy bloated non-government sites, for an no nonsense form + js approach?

toast0 6y ago
Costs the same as what you would otherwise pay, plus it actually works?
- davemp 6y ago
  > plus it actually works That’s the problem. Maintenance is big money for government contractors.
- vram22 6y ago
  >plus it actually works? Heh. "That was the most unkindest cut of all." https://www.google.com/search?q=unkindest+cut+of+all+quote https://www.google.com/search?q=unkindest+cut+of+all+quote Also, "the emperor's new clothes". Both relevant.
danjac 6y ago
Because they're a business that will charge as much as they can absolutely get away with and will do their best to make the project and maintenance costs as bloated as possible. The question is why there aren't people in the government with either the technical ability or the political clout to audit and push back at any point in the project.
kitsune_ 6y ago
It's really the people writing the requirements who are driving a lot of these things. Customers are used to Gmail, FB etc. and want similar experiences.

murm 6y ago

When the only tool you know is a hammer you tend to just go around smashing things

pas 6y ago

Because that's the mainstream, that's what's easy to procure, hire for, negotiate with vendors, that's the default, the preferred, the future proof, the supported. And the tech doesn't really matter. I hate React with a passion, because Angular is so much more sane - in my experience. But it's fine. It's mature, it can be made to perform completely well. The tech doesn't really matter. The people doesn't matter either. Even the costs doesn't matter as much as people think. What matters is political will, procurement culture, so systems and structures. This will influence (and bring) all the others in line.

JohnBooty 6y ago
Depressingly correct. Variations of "nobody ever got fired for buying IBM", repeated forever.
- DaiPlusPlus 6y ago
  No-one got fired for writing an SPA, but we did decide not to renew the contract for the next major update.
throwawayboise 6y ago
> the future proof No, not that.

novok 6y ago

Because they want to program like they are mobile apps