Running a full javascript framework in a javascript runtime.

> That is built with React Native for Windows. No, that is not a full JavaScript framework in your start menu.

This is incorrect. It is a full JavaScript framework in your start menu.

I don't see your read that it's about ram-hungry web views either. To me, "Start menu uses React" is a dig that Microsoft is so uncommitted to it's native development platform that they (partially) don't use it in one of the most 'core' parts of the operating system.

Shouldn't devs be allowed to select what they feel is the "best" choice for a given component? While I wouldn't expect to see a SwiftUI in Windows from Microsoft, Microsoft hasn't been adverse to various NIH web frameworks for quite some time now.

If it fits and meets the goals of the project, why not?

If Microsoft developers' "best" choice for a tiny UI component like this is not it's flagship native UI framework, then that's a problem for Microsoft. That is the criticism.

> Shouldn't devs be allowed to select what they feel is the "best" choice for a given component?

To some extent, yes. But if they choose React Native, something's probably wrong, because (despite what the article says) that requires throwing in a Javascript engine, significantly bloating a core Windows component. If they only use it for a small section ("that can be disabled", or in other words is on by default), it seems like an even poorer trade-off, as most users suffer the pain but the devs are making minimal advantage of whatever benefits it provides.

If the developers are correct that this is the best choice, that reflects poorly on the quality of Microsoft's core native development platforms, as madeofpalk said.

If the developers of a core Windows component are incorrect about the best choice, that reflects poorly on this team, and I might be inclined to say no, someone more senior should be making the choice.

The critique is exactly that they apparently felt that React Native was the best choice for such a component.

There are two possibilities: Either it’s really the best choice among the available frameworks (very questionable), or they picked it regardless. Both reflect badly on Microsoft, given what React Native is, and given how central the Start menu is to the Windows experience.

What are some of the possible hypothetical reasons that would make introducing React Native to the core OS start menu like this the best choice?

Here's one: Microsoft management heavily incentivizes their developers to use LLMs for virtually everything (to the "do it or you're fired" level) and the LLM (due to its training data or whatever) is far more able to pump out code with React Native than their own frameworks. This makes it the right choice for them. Not for the user, but you can't have everything.

I don't have any inside information; I'm running with the hypothetical.

It has been React before ChatGPT.

I've got nothing then.

I guess the ship sailed a long time ago, but while no one is going to turn off their ad blocker, they could make people not use one in the first place.

I'm putting my dog in his crate with all my important documents, but leaving my fine china tableware in the cupboard away from the dog.

and then tie a tiny string from the china to a thing inside the cage because it seemed handy at the time...

You start with one teacup in the crate and before you know it you're merging handle redesigns back to the entire fine china cupboard.

He's never broken a teacup in the past!

Then one day forgetting to close the door of the crate…..

But the dog is so used to the crate…

In the Apple ecosystem 'just a spec bump' is pretty significant IMHO. So often they will completely disregard products and just let them languish. The Mac Pro still only comes with the M2 chip.

I agree with you... but was it actually a failure? I feel like that would require to have some kind of negative consequences, which I don't think Meta has faced over this. They've still been rewarded handsomely.

The hardware is actually pretty decent, and some VR games work really well. For example this table tennis simulator honestly feels life the real thing, even down to the little "tap" in the bat when you hit the ball :

https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/eleven-table-tennis/1...

The while time I've owned a Quest, I've never felt the need or desire to launch the Horizon App.

I recently invested a small amount of money in an early stage company where I had to declare I was either a 'high net worth individual' or a 'sophisticated investor'. The mutually exclusive clause seemed important to me.

In the US, we have this class called “accredited investor”

Maybe you become both by not investing in such a company.

And the beauty is that one also becomes not both by investing in such a company!

Solving problems is not like chess? I want to use my brain, not sure why that's so complicated to understand

> it must be noted that this 19k LoC PR was mostly generated by Claude Code and manually reviewed by the submitter

Who reviewed and approved the PR?

Being real doesn't make it not satire.

Yes but all of the commenters think this is a fake site created ironically. It isn't. It is a company doing the evil thing it is mocking.

I consider this a form of performance art. To really expose the absurdity of the system, you can't just point at the cracks; you need to actually stick your fingers in.

Yes it's even more effective this way IMO, we will probably see some 11/10 mental gymnastics from people condemning this and failing to apply the same standards to billions dollars corps.

Part of the point here is that the systems are fundamentally broken, more broken than they were before when we already thought they were broken. Some people look at that and think "I suppose we should keep propping this system up as much as possible; the less propping the more immediate harm is caused to people/infrastructure/society".

The people behind this site/talk clearly don't buy into that. The way they see it, a reckoning must come. We might as well get it over with as soon as possible. Rip off the band-aid so to speak. So maybe we should shake the system and show that its falling apart.

If doing evil things satirically with extremely poor result, does that become a positive outcome?

I mean maybe you can pay, it can just use some 8B model to give you unsubstantiated crap.