I think the biggest reason is that they are really bad frameworks. GWT isn't really supported anymore, but for a while it was a creative way to build UI in a wo

I think the biggest reason is that they are really bad frameworks. GWT isn't really supported anymore, but for a while it was a creative way to build UI in a world where Javascript frameworks weren't that advanced. You might not like Angular, but React, Vue, Ember, Meteor, and many many others exist. If you want types and don't like the JS style, you can use Typescript. I have used GWT, I wouldn't use it again. I tried Vaadin, and it was so terrible I would never touch it again. >So I'm relegated to the backend. You are not relegated to backend. You can always learn JS Framework stuff. You shouldn't pigeonhole yourself into one area. Many many many developers do both.