Maybe the tyranny of the fiefdoms will drive us back towards HTTPS.
Certainly I've heard the question "why don't we do an iOS app and an Android app?" in respect of conference schedules. Usually after people saw the Google IO schedule app.
My response was, now we have HTTP push notifications, we can do everything we need on a website. Most people just want the now-and-next information. And as a bonus, hook an old PC up to a TV and we've got now-and-next on a conveniently located display (the lobby, main conference hall, etc). Not to mention the ease of maintenance.
I’ve been building apps for Windows for over a decade (we used to call them programs or software) and this isn’t exactly a problem there. The problem is strong centralized App Store control, not native app development.
>I’ve been building apps for Windows for over a decade and this isn’t exactly a problem there.
You 300% completely miss my point. Apps ARE the problem. Especially in the "for Windows" context. Now I need to install 30 different apps to access 20 different sites, and another 40 different apps on my other device that's in a different app eco system.
...versus standardized http and browsers. The entire app eco system in their specific walled incompatible gardens is top to bottom is toxic.
And that's not me pulling a stallman. Every fuckin website and company on every device wants me to install their own app. It's tedious AF at best
For decades, developers distributed actual non-web software without having to deal with technical fiefdoms. Proposing the web is an alternative just masks a political/social problem as a technical one.
And will continue to do so because anyone who wants to create a new browser will be locked out of supporting EME by Google as we've already seen happen a couple times. Then once they get rid of the address bar and URLs, the only way to find anything on the web will be through a search which Google happens to also dominate in.
When every company and their dog decided their content needs an app. Instead of using the nicely standardized thing called http and web browsers.
That moved us from http straight to corporate technical fiefdoms with no control.