On 15 June 2010 09:58, Robert Ransom <rransom.8774_AT_gmail.com> wrote:
> - a terminal emulator written in JavaScript
> - which produces its output by manipulating XML DOM objects
> - which in turn cause a browser to rerun its page *layout* algorithm
> - and then redraw the terminal screen
You have heard of HTML5's <canvas>, right?
It's the JavaScript which makes me balk. I think the web will be a lot
nicer to develop for once browsers begin to understand that <script
type="text/x-python"> means it should spawn a (sandboxed) Python
interpreter, etc.
However, HTML and HTTP do not form a panacea. It's just the "in thing"
nowadays to write slow, buggy clones of existing software in
JavaScript and to call it innovation.
The only reason why web apps have taken off is because "everyone has a
web browser". Of course, everyone has an operating system, too, it's
just operating systems are (a) stagnant [1], and (b) incompatible (eg,
Windows isn't POSIX). The web is moving fairly fast and is
cross-platform (ubiquitous browser incompatibilities excepted), but is
also part of the "cloud" (read: people have rediscovered the
client-server model, and think it's *awesome*).
In my opinion the problem is purely user experience: (a) installing
software is perceived as difficult, so not having to bother with that
is an instant plus, and (b) your data is available everywhere. Both of
these problems could be solved with improved package management and
data synchronisation, but it's an uphill struggle, since everyone's
just fixated with the intertubes now...
[1] http://doc.cat-v.org/bell_labs/utah2000/
cls
Received on Tue Jun 15 2010 - 11:51:01 UTC
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