23 Feb
2011
23 Feb
'11
10:52 a.m.
On 2/23/11, Philipp Überbacher <hollunder(a)lavabit.com> wrote:
Again I disagree, in my opinion web UIs have exactly
one benefit and
many drawbacks. The benefit is that they can be accessed from anywhere
with an internet connection and sufficiently capable browser (which is
pretty much everywhere these days) without installing anything. The
drawbacks are too many to list really but I'll try to show some with an
example or two:
Example number one is the CUPS web interface, accessible using the
obvious address http://localhost:631. First of all it gives me the
creeps every time I have to use it, because I have to use the browser to
modify my system.
So problem number one is that you have old-fashioned view on system
configuration.
Besides that the interface is slow and buggy, despite
running on the
same machine. I wouldn't call it a good interface in general.
So problem number two is that because CUPS's UI is bad, you
extrapolate that on other web UIs. Very interesting.
The other example is google docs/spreadsheet which I
have to use
sometimes. There are the obvious privacy concerns, it should be clear
that giving your possibly sensitive data to what's probably the worlds
biggest Ad company isn't a good idea.
So problem number three is conspiracy theories.
the way of the user interface. You want keyboard
shortcuts to make your
life easier? Forget it, chances are the browser will chew them, all you
get is the mouse.
So problem number four is that you have no idea whatsoever about
possibility to use hotkeys in a web app. Just FYI Gmail has lots of
shortcuts for both replying, forwarding and navigation between mails.
I use it all the time. Why you have no idea it is possible with AJAX
-- I really couldn't say. But you said something about
short-sightedness :-P
Accessibility? Forget it, text browser don't do
JS.
So the problem number five is being one of few hundred people around
the globe who still use text browsers in the world of Firefox, Chrome,
Opera, Safari and IE.
Ever heard of http://www.w3.org/WAI/ btw?
In other words, most of your points are made on the basis of you not
being up to day with modern technologies.
Sorry, I could rant on forever.
Pray continue. I love reading stuff like that.
Alexandre Prokoudine
http://libregraphicsworld.org