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This talk is an overview of how web apps evolved over time: from traditional CGI to full-stack SSR frameworks and local-first apps. By using an analogy of a physical distance between a human and computer, I tried to show that the variety of tools we have now and their complexity makes total sense. As developers, we are trying to wipe the boundary between desktop and web UX, while iterating on the platform and dev tools. I tried to provide a simple explanation of concepts like partial hydration, resumability, islands architecture and signals.
The second part of this talk is an overview of the arising web development trends (all-in-one tooling, local-first, backend-first) and some speculations of what’s coming next: for example, can AI run entirely in the browser? The illustrations and visual style for this talks were produced in collaboration with Liza Zaft.