Writing userscripts and CSS filters becomes more tedious each few years, especially mucking with dynamic DOM and complex frameworks websites tend to use now. WASM and obfuscated/minified javascript made "programmable web" impossible in practice.
I miss the programmable web (2021)
71–80 of 180 posts
Re: I miss the programmable web (2021)
#72I miss the "immediate web". Being able to work on simple things without feeling like they are useless, pointless or perceptibly outdated. Now it's install node, install git, install npm, install a gazillion packages, run localhost then hope everything works. Build command, clean command, eject commands, deploy command, pre processors, post processers, documentations full of so much jargon that i feel burnt out lookin…
Re: I miss the programmable web (2021)
#73Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why do browsers enforce CSP against bookmarklets and user scripts, though?
Naive users can be convinced to run random code. Go to discord.com (no need for account) and open browser console. You will see > Hold Up! > If someone told you to copy/paste something here you have an 11/10 chance you're being scammed. > Pasting anything in here could give attackers access to your Discord account. presumably they added it after it kept happening. And likely the same things happens when random user c…
Re: I miss the programmable web (2021)
#74Is it because in the beginning of the web the percent of tech users was much higher than now and not revenue optimized?
Now decisions are taken by managers or PO who don't care (or even know) about programmability, open standards, etc.
Re: I miss the programmable web (2021)
#75I miss the "immediate web". Being able to work on simple things without feeling like they are useless, pointless or perceptibly outdated. Now it's install node, install git, install npm, install a gazillion packages, run localhost then hope everything works. Build command, clean command, eject commands, deploy command, pre processors, post processers, documentations full of so much jargon that i feel burnt out lookin…
Re: I miss the programmable web (2021)
#76I miss the "immediate web". Being able to work on simple things without feeling like they are useless, pointless or perceptibly outdated. Now it's install node, install git, install npm, install a gazillion packages, run localhost then hope everything works. Build command, clean command, eject commands, deploy command, pre processors, post processers, documentations full of so much jargon that i feel burnt out lookin…
If you build web pages without the whole JS frameworks and Node circus, they are pretty durable. Those helpers were invented because people started to build empires (complex applications) on sand (the web), so they are pretty useful for larger projects, but simple websites can still be easily built with plain HTML/CSS/JS.
if it was up to me i would never touch those things, but that's what the market has become.
i even resisted learning typescript for so many years, because i loathe the idea of learning a language that needs to be converted to have correct syntax. same with jsx, i use it, but it feels horrible.
Re: I miss the programmable web (2021)
#77Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you build web pages without the whole JS frameworks and Node circus, they are pretty durable. Those helpers were invented because people started to build empires (complex applications) on sand (the web), so they are pretty useful for larger projects, but simple websites can still be easily built with plain HTML/CSS/JS.
yeah but there is no value, personally in building projects like that anymore, you can not use them in your portfolio or to progress your career - i was going to build a personal site, but realised it would probably act as more of a hindrance to me, because potential clients/employers would see that it was not using latest new js fad. if it was up to me i would never touch those things, but that's what the market has…
Re: I miss the programmable web (2021)
#78Simple web is better.
Re: I miss the programmable web (2021)
#79I miss the "immediate web". Being able to work on simple things without feeling like they are useless, pointless or perceptibly outdated. Now it's install node, install git, install npm, install a gazillion packages, run localhost then hope everything works. Build command, clean command, eject commands, deploy command, pre processors, post processers, documentations full of so much jargon that i feel burnt out lookin…
Of course, having to work with multiple devs on the same project adds lots of complexity to minimize risks and conflicts.
Re: I miss the programmable web (2021)
#80Earlier quoted context omitted.
Isn't this just how technology progresses? Things start off as amateur pursuits but once a field becomes profiting making then professionals move in and industrialise things.
This is a good response to the vast majority of curmudgeonly HN posts tbf