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This is the best part of PWA. Each user can do what they want. You just want to use it on the web? Just so that. You get the full experience because there is n

This is the best part of PWA. Each user can do what they want. You just want to use it on the web? Just so that. You get the full experience because there is no resource split between the web site and native apps. You want to find the app in your favourite app store? It's there. Just install it. You like the web version but want to add a shortcut to your app list? You can do that and there is enough metadata available to provide nice icons and titles.

slimsag 4y ago
But owners of these properties do not want users to have that choice, they want users in a mobile app where they can collect more telemetry and spam notifications to get engagement. There’s a reason Reddit aggressively pushes you away from their mobile site.
- kevincox 4y ago
  That doesn't seem like a reason to be negative about PWAs. Unless you are an owner worried about PWAs being normalized so that your tracker infested app stands out.
  - Spivak 4y ago
    Or a user who has already gone through the era of "enable notifications" spam and is excited for the "install our site" era.
- thomaslord 4y ago
  With Reddit specifically, I think they at least have one legitimate reason in addition to the normal nefarious ones. Their new web interface is incredibly slow, especially as you continue browsing over time. On phones, that's likely to cause more serious performance issues than it does on desktop devices.
  - mhoad 4y ago
    You can thank the mess of the React eco system for that. There is a new-new one in the works which doesn’t suffer from the same problems.
illiarian 4y ago
> You get the full experience because there is no resource split between the web site and native apps. It won't be a "full experience". It's amazing to me that people are talking about GUI apps and keep pretending that GUI-wise the web is anywhere on the same level as anything native. I wonder why the https://open-ui.org https://open-ui.org effort exists if that is the case (because it isn't, of course).
- Spivak 4y ago
  Because it's web apps an all the way down, even on native. Half the apps you use on mobile are augmented webviews.
  - illiarian 4y ago
    > Half the apps you use on mobile are augmented webviews. And those almost invariably suck. A few try and invest in smooth-enough experience because customer retention affects their bottom line (e.g. Foodora is a suprisingly nice app), but those are not enough to say "You get the full experience".
  - JohnFen 4y ago
    Right, which I think is one of the reasons why apps have come to suck more and more. They aren't actually apps, they're just webpages.

slimsag 4y ago

But owners of these properties do not want users to have that choice, they want users in a mobile app where they can collect more telemetry and spam notifications to get engagement. There’s a reason Reddit aggressively pushes you away from their mobile site.

kevincox 4y ago
That doesn't seem like a reason to be negative about PWAs. Unless you are an owner worried about PWAs being normalized so that your tracker infested app stands out.
- Spivak 4y ago
  Or a user who has already gone through the era of "enable notifications" spam and is excited for the "install our site" era.
thomaslord 4y ago
With Reddit specifically, I think they at least have one legitimate reason in addition to the normal nefarious ones. Their new web interface is incredibly slow, especially as you continue browsing over time. On phones, that's likely to cause more serious performance issues than it does on desktop devices.
- mhoad 4y ago
  You can thank the mess of the React eco system for that. There is a new-new one in the works which doesn’t suffer from the same problems.

illiarian 4y ago

> You get the full experience because there is no resource split between the web site and native apps. It won't be a "full experience". It's amazing to me that people are talking about GUI apps and keep pretending that GUI-wise the web is anywhere on the same level as anything native. I wonder why the https://open-ui.org https://open-ui.org effort exists if that is the case (because it isn't, of course).

Spivak 4y ago
Because it's web apps an all the way down, even on native. Half the apps you use on mobile are augmented webviews.
- illiarian 4y ago
  > Half the apps you use on mobile are augmented webviews. And those almost invariably suck. A few try and invest in smooth-enough experience because customer retention affects their bottom line (e.g. Foodora is a suprisingly nice app), but those are not enough to say "You get the full experience".
- JohnFen 4y ago
  Right, which I think is one of the reasons why apps have come to suck more and more. They aren't actually apps, they're just webpages.