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

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. Paid Free or?
13. Owned Subscribed or?
14. Enough More or?
15. Can the web exist… without giving up our data?
16. Can the web exist… without subscriptions?
17. Can the web exist… without the cloud?
18. Web2 (too far off) is crumbling…
19. No matter how crumbling one side is… most won’t (can’t) jump over that huge gap.
20. Web2 needs a bridge… ???
21. …but we’ll come back to that.
22. privacy Web2
23. In the digital space… you are what you do.
24. Either you own that data… or others own the data that defines you.
25. If you don’t have custody of that data… you don’t own that data.
26. If they can block you from that data… you don’t own that data.
27. If they keep charging you for that data… you don’t own that data.
28. If you can’t protect that data… you don’t own that data.
29. privacy performance Web2
30. The web is supposedly “zero install”… but also promises “instant start” UX.
31. But far from actually “zero install”… the web is, in practice, install every visit.
32. And the average page size in 2024 is… ~2.7MB, growing ~7% YoY. https://httparchive.org/reports/page-weight
33. While the 90th percentile page size is… ~10.5MB, growing ~8% YoY. https://httparchive.org/reports/page-weight
34. It’s harder than ever for web devs to… fake zero-install and instant-start.
35. Hosting providers increasingly control… architecture and optimizations.
36. privacy performance access Web2
37. The web increasingly assumes… unlimited internet and power*. *especially with AI.
38. 2/3 of the world’s population can’t… enjoy such privileges.
39. privacy performance access cost Web2
40. Users not only spend more on access… but more on devices, just to keep up.
41. Not only is the cost to users going up… but the cost to companies, too.
42. “During a gold rush, sell shovels.” During a shovel rush, sell metal.
43. privacy performance access cost complexity Web2
45. Programmer job security used to be… ensured by writing hard to maintain code.
46. But the complexity arms race… now ensures they’ll be replaced by AI.
47. Web2 is crumbling…
48. but… there is a bridge! Local-First
49. 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/
50. Local-First Data must default to primary storage on the user’s device.
51. Local-First Servers must be optional (or based on ubiquitous, agnostic protocols). IOW, Server-Last
52. https://blog.jim-nielsen.com/2024/allure-of-sync-engines/ @martinkl
53. ▪ Not just data, though ▪ The app should act installed and remain persistently on the device, and should update atomically Local-First
54. Local-First Data Compute “Edge” Edge-First
55. Users: Privacy, Performance, Resilience Why Local-First?
56. Business: Cost, Complexity, Competition Why Local-First?
57. Local-First Any framework will do, as long as it’s not a server-bound framework… …which is most of them.
58. Local-First However… If you put the server in the client… https://jakelazaroff.com/words/building-a-single-page-app-with-htmx/
59. Local-First DXOS ElectricSQL PowerSync TinyBase AutoMerge Source Yjs Replicache
60. Local-First Obsidian Ledger Linear Trello (some or all of the local-first principles) Spotify
61. Local-First What about identity without any servers?
62. 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
63. • mylofi/WebAuthn-Local-Client • mylofi/Local-Data-Lock • byojs/Storage • mylofi/Local-Vault Zero-Server Identity
64. Demo
66. Web2.5 Local-First Web2
67. The cloud is not inherently “The Web”, it’s an implementation detail. Web2.5 “The Web” is interconnectedness and collaboration around our data.
68. 1. Local Identity 2. Surf To Install 3. Peer-First (Server-Last) Web2.5 Principles
69. ▪ Autonomous, user-defined identity ▪ Data ownership ▪ Users mix/share their own data across apps ▪ App ownership ▪ Reduce distinctions between web, apps, and data Web2.5 Goals
70. Web2.5 Local-First Web2 Kyle Simpson Thank You!