Love/Hate: Upgrading to Web2.5 with Local-First (abbr)

Millions of developers have made their careers in the age of Web2, and most weren't even around for the days of Web1. Yet it's no shocking claim that Web2 still has a lot of problems that weigh it down, despite all the amazing advancements.

For years now, hopes of fixing those problems have largely hung on the promises of Web3 (blockchain and crypto). But just as other classic "version upgrades" (like Python 2 vs Python 3) lingered and stagnated, so too has Web3 largely failed yet to bridge the divide and pull along those of us stuck in Web2.

Big changes are usually the sum of many smaller changes. Web3 is too big a leap for many, so we need to look to more immediate and tangible evolutions.

Luckily, the web has a new way forward. Let's explore how local-first will upgrade the world to Web2.5.

Transcript

1. Kyle Simpson Upgrading Love/Hate: to Web2.5 with Local- First
2. Many “Great Divide”s
3. Web
4. Native vs
5. https://css-tricks.com/the-great-divide/ vs
6. vs
7. Front- End Back- End vs
8. Love! Hate! vs
9. Dichotomy Pick Sides!
10. Privacy Convenience or?
11. Security Performance or?
12. Owned Subscribed or?
13. Cloud Centralized De- Centralized or?
14. (too far off) Web2
15. You may be questioning… why do we need another web?
16. privacy Web2 is crumbling…
17. In the digital space… you are what you do.
18. Either you own that data… or others own the data that defines you.
19. If you don’t have custody of that data… you don’t own that data.
20. If they can block you from that data…
21. If they keep charging you for that data…
22. If you can’t protect that data… you don’t own that data.
23. Data ownership is a… universal human right.
24. privacy performance Web2 is crumbling…
25. The web is supposedly “zero install”… but also promises “instant start” UX.
26. But far from actually “zero install”… the web is, in practice, install every visit.
27. It’s harder than ever for web devs to… fake zero-install and instant-start.
28. privacy performance access Web2 is crumbling…
29. The web increasingly assumes… unlimited internet and power*. *especially with AI.
30. privacy performance access cost Web2 is crumbling…
31. Users not only spend more on access… but more on devices, just to keep up.
32. privacy performance access cost complexity Web2 is crumbling…
33. Hosting providers increasingly control… architecture and optimizations.
34. is crumbling… Web2
35. but… there is a bridge! Local-First
36. Local-First 1. No spinners: your work at your fingertips 2. Your work is not trapped on one device 3. The network is optional Seamless collaboration with your colleagues The Long Now Security and privacy by default You retain ultimate ownership and control https://www.inkandswitch.com/local-first/ https://localfirstweb.dev/
37. Local-First Data must default to primary storage on the user’s device.
38. Local-First Servers must be optional IOW, Server-Last (or based on ubiquitous, agnostic protocols).
39. https://blog.jim-nielsen.com/2024/allure-of-sync-engines/ @martinkl
40. ▪ Not just data, though ▪ The app itself should act installed and remain persistently on the device, and should update atomically (IWA) Local-First
41. Local-First DXOS ElectricSQL PowerSync TinyBase AutoMerge Source Yjs Replicache
42. Users: Privacy, Performance, Resilience Business: Cost, Complexity, Competition Why?
43. Local-First Obsidian Ledger Linear Trello (some or all of the local-first principles) Spotify
44. Local-First What about identity… …without any servers?
45. 1. Your public-key is your identity 2. Local data protection (encryption at rest, E2E transmission) 3. Keys protected by biometric passkeys Zero-Server Identity
46. Web2.5 Local-First Web2
47. 1. Local Identity 2. Surf To Install (PWA, IWA, etc) 3. Peer-First / Server-Last (Direct Sockets, LP2P, etc) Web2.5 Steps
48. ▪ Autonomous, user-defined identity ▪ Data ownership ▪ Users locally mix/share their own data across apps ▪ App ownership ▪ Reduce distinctions between web, apps, and data Web2.5 Principles
49. Web2.5 Local-First Web2 Kyle Simpson Thank You!