Slashdot Mirror
Which do You Prefer: Mobile Web Apps or Mobile Websites? (Video)
On December 28, 2015, Larry Seltzer wrote an article for Ars Technica provocatively titled (by Ars editors), The App-ocalypse: Can Web standards make mobile apps obsolete? A link to this article was posted on Slashdot, where it provoked a spirited discussion. In this video conversation, we talked to Larry about mobile aps vs. Web standards. Not surprisingly, he had some interesting things to say.
Hate apps for the most part because they don't let you finger zoom and other things you can do in browsers.
But from TFA:
Historically, the problem with using Web applications on mobile devices is that webpages have not been able to do the things we expect of apps: features like pinch and zoom
Wuuuut? That is the opposite of what is my observation.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
Give me a real website. My screen resolution on my phone is crazy big, and it can zoom with a flick of two fingers if I need to. Reduced functionality/UI mobile sites are grandfathered crap intended for web-enabled Moto Razr phones from pre-smartphone days.
Some people watch videos, some don't. We mark all videos as videos to keep you from watching them by mistake, and provide transcripts if you want the information in them but would rather read than view.
We *could* transmit videos directly to your brain using our subdural trans-pyschic information refabulizer, but we have decided not to do this. For now.
Why should I have to install software on my device just to do the job that an image, an html table, a couple of text fields, and a couple of buttons can do?
Screw that. I don't need to give some corporation access to my location and personal data just to find me a damn restaurant.
And worse, when "Request desktop site" doesn't work. I'm looking at you, Slashdot.
Even worse still, when the mobile site doesn't do everything the desktop site does. Slashdot, do you feel my gaze?
Any sufficiently unpopular but cohesive argument is indistinguishable from trolling.
I don't want to download your stupid app. Just make your website not suck on mobile devices. End of story.
If your app really truly has enough complexity that a mobile site is too slow, and a native app is the only way to get decent performance, your app is probably too complicated. Keep it simple stupid.
Maybe 1% of apps actually honestly need to be a standalone app.