The Web Is Dying

View Source - Browser Vendor Conference

  • Google
  • Microsoft
  • Mozilla
  • Samsung Internet
  • Who's missing?

5 years ago ...

New users don't have desktops

... but feature phones and smart phones

2014: Time Spent On Websites

Mobile App vs. Mobile Web

2019: Time Spent On Websites?

Less than 7%

So What Went Wrong?

1. "Responsive Web Design"
has failed

Alex Russell

As currently practiced, it's not working. Folks think it means "use the viewport tools in devtools" not "design on a phone", and then they make choices (e.g., heavyweight, desktop-era frameworks) that sink the experience from the get-go.

Frances Berriman

Responsive Web Design alone has failed so far in keeping the web at the forefront of users experiences where most users are most of the time — on mobile.

To Sum It Up:

We're just shrinking desktop websites and adding a hamburger- icon

Apple App Store Review Guidelines

Your app should include features, content, and UI that elevate it beyond a repackaged website.

Apple App Store Review Guidelines

Apps that browse the web must use the appropriate WebKit framework and WebKit JavaScript

What Does That Mean?

  • Apps are considered as something entirely different than websites
  • Chrome on iOS is NOT Chrome
  • Firefox on iOS is NOT Firefox

... back to the Web.
What IS the Web?

  • Links
  • Sharing
  • Working together

How will you link to a feature in an app?

Tim Berners-Lee

The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect.

The Original Web

Links were two-way

Content could be edited

The Web Is Not Essential To The Future Of Computing

Businesses can’t afford to build things multiple times

App or Web?

A Webpage Today Can ...

  • Work offline
  • Be installed to the home screen
  • Have push notifications
  • Work with sensors API's:
    • AbsoluteOrientationSensor
    • Accelerometer
    • AmbientLightSensor
    • Battery Manager API
    • Device Orientation and Device Motion API
    • Gyroscope
    • LinearAccelerationSensor
    • Magnetometer, Proximity Events API, RelativeOrientationSensor, Vibration API

Style It Like An App
Create Interactions Like An App

Google Maps on Desktop

(notice "Dark Mode" - simple to do in CSS)

On it's way ...

GREAT!
Why don't we just do that?

well ... because of ...

But maybe there's hope!

... if you can find the documentation!

Back to Apps vs. Web.

... most of these could be - and are on Android - web apps.

So What Else Went Wrong?

2. Tracking & Advertising

It's Not Getting Better

Targeted Ads Profiles

They Think Like Hackers

  • Bypass Ad-blockers by using WebSockets
  • Exploiting security vulnerabilities in iframes etc.
  • ... but at least it's easy to inspect them on the Web

What To Do?

Web Monetisation API (Coil)

And Finally ...

Are we to blame?

"Client-Side Rendering With Frameworks Has Commodified The Web Industry"

Are The Tools We're Using:

  • Too heavy for mobile (slow 3G)?
  • Better for developers than users? (DevX vs UX)
  • Making everything look the same? (Bootstrap)

Thank You

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