I think it seems logical on paper. I tried it, and it feels perceptually way worse. It also think it's objectively slower.
When you go from HTML page to HTML page without JS, the browser starts from scratch on every page. The user gets a big flash, then the browser has to redraw the page from scratch. It's actually a lot of work often.
If the browser expected pages to be similar, and added optimizations to reuse existing content, essentially doing internal SPA work, that would be a different story. To my knowledge, the browser does no such optimization, and brute-forces renders every URL from scratch.
You can actually try for yourself on the website I linked. Chrome devtools > disable Javascript. It's a pretty good experience still since I optimized everything. However, you see all sorts of things flicker and move around. It's not the smoothest experience. And If you have worse Internet, it gets worse and worse as you see more of the tear-down > built-up on every click. With the SPA experience, if you have bad internet, you can still scroll around and use the page, as you wait for the update to arrive.
Of course, you're totally right that static HTML works pretty good when the website is already simple and fast. My point was that with 4KB-uncompressed / 140LoC, I can get the smoothest experience. And I unlock options later on like having loading spinners for example.
My general point was that you can do simple client-side rendering in 140 LoC. You keep a simple backend-served website, and add a little polish this way to have a smooth experience.
I find it very cool to have polished app-like experience, while having a simple backend to serve. I like the low-tech, few moving pieces, yet I get options for great UX if I want.
I got charmed by this path with LiveView and Hotwire back in the day. I'm thankful that people continue to push this approach. It's wonderful
I like this familly of technologies. Having an SPA-type app that's mostly backend.
Recently i've redone my app website (https://alt-tab.app), and I implemented a minimal spa.js that has a similar approach. I find the end result blazing fast, simple to maintain / reason about, few moving pieces. I used Early Hints, compressed every single thing, inlined CSS, etc. I don't know how i could even make it faster.
I recommend this approach for websites that are not very complex. Of course if i made a browser-based music player with a super dynamic UI, that would have been a different story~
I don't think there is anything you can do to prevent rich kids from having an easy life.
They are not numerous though, but definition. So the concern shouldn't be too large as well. In France where i'm from, and also here in Japan, i see the education system as mostly working. People get educated and the people more designed for more study can pursue while other go working before them. This seems to work enough to me. I wouldn't know how to improve it without regressing more on other fronts, for instance
I read a lot of anti-diplomas ideology, especially from US culture. Over the years I've realized that the multi-years selection people go through in academia is a decent and most importantly long process to select people.
A lot of the conversation is on interviews these days, on the idea that anyone can be a genius programmer after a bootcamp. While I don't deny it's possible, I think traditional selection based on the school people went to, and building a relationship between companies and school is a good thing.
Trying to holistically evaluate a worker in a few hours is not nice. It's very intense for candidates to have such opportunities to unlock in such a short time. People prepare for interviews intensely, and can live rejections as a deep traumas as a result. Having this process happen over years in academia seems healthier, and more accurate.
Companies would benefit from having their HR spend time studying curriculums of some schools, and build relationships. That guarantees a steady flow of qualified workers.
I see this where I live here in Japan, and I'm quite found of the work culture / society it produces.
When you go from HTML page to HTML page without JS, the browser starts from scratch on every page. The user gets a big flash, then the browser has to redraw the page from scratch. It's actually a lot of work often.
If the browser expected pages to be similar, and added optimizations to reuse existing content, essentially doing internal SPA work, that would be a different story. To my knowledge, the browser does no such optimization, and brute-forces renders every URL from scratch.
You can actually try for yourself on the website I linked. Chrome devtools > disable Javascript. It's a pretty good experience still since I optimized everything. However, you see all sorts of things flicker and move around. It's not the smoothest experience. And If you have worse Internet, it gets worse and worse as you see more of the tear-down > built-up on every click. With the SPA experience, if you have bad internet, you can still scroll around and use the page, as you wait for the update to arrive.
Of course, you're totally right that static HTML works pretty good when the website is already simple and fast. My point was that with 4KB-uncompressed / 140LoC, I can get the smoothest experience. And I unlock options later on like having loading spinners for example.
My general point was that you can do simple client-side rendering in 140 LoC. You keep a simple backend-served website, and add a little polish this way to have a smooth experience.
I find it very cool to have polished app-like experience, while having a simple backend to serve. I like the low-tech, few moving pieces, yet I get options for great UX if I want.
I got charmed by this path with LiveView and Hotwire back in the day. I'm thankful that people continue to push this approach. It's wonderful