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TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08
Hi Borax!

02 May 2020 12:34, from Borax Man -> Richard Menedetter:

 RM>> I completely disagree.
 RM>> It is not ABuse but intelligent USE!
 BM> They were never designed to be application platforms.

That is not correct.
They were not designed for it in the beginning.
They ARE designed for it for a long time.

For example ChromeOS runs all its apps in the browser.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrome_OS

 BM> That is why browsers take gigabytes of ram and need modern computers.

Yes ... it cannot compete with an implementation on hand optimized assembly.
But it is a great solution for me.

I go to my website and can do videoconferences.
On Linux, Windows, whatever.
No need to install anything. GREAT!

 BM> All that functionality has to be put into every browser, even if
 BM> someone just wants to render plain HTML.

Yes.
But as the same tech is used by HTML5 Websites, you NEED to include it
anyways, otherwise you will not be able to view websites made in the last few
years.

See for example the visual 6502 simulator ... running only in your browser:
http://www.visual6502.org/JSSim/index.html

 BM>> Curses to the man who man who thought you could use
 BM>> the web to create apps!
 RM>> Why curse that genius?
 BM> Because it solved the wrong problem.

It is a great solution for me.

 BM> The problem was cross platform graphical apps.
 BM> Browsers were abused to provide this

No ... the already existing functionality for HTML5 and JS was USED for that.
And it is a GREAT solution for multi platform apps.
So good that Google built a line of Chromebooks around it.
(Which I am NOT fond of, as you ONLY have browser apps, but it is a good
solution for some.)

Hell ... even of the apps I use over 90% is Firefox.
And some terminal windows to my Linux server.
But even those migrate to the browser with Shell in a box.
At work outbound SSH is disallowed.
But I can use web ... so I go to my shell in a box instance and I am logged in
to my server.

 BM> That is, you have a well documented API, and anyone can write
 BM> any program using it.

The browser APIs ARE well documented. (better than anything else).
For example see my link to WebRTC.

And many, many people ARE writing browser based programs like Jitsi.
Thanks god!! (BTW. there is also an Android and IOS version of Jitsi, and
maybe even a Windows version.)

 BM> Why reinvent a graphical interface, when the OS already has one?

It is not reinvented.
The browser also had one for a long time.
So the correct question is, why not use the GUI that best fits your needs, of
the 2 existing interfaces.

And simply pointing your browser at a URL to start your videoconference is a
GREAT way, when compared to having to install a dedicated app for something
that you might only use occasionally.

For me it is a great solution!

CU, Ricsi

... The best thing about the good old days is that they're gone.
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