I empathize with the author but client-side technologies like React have a pretty clear advantage that explains why they're popular: for the people that are tasked to make websites (i.e. us, HN readers), they're easier to work with and they save us time. It outweighs all the end-user-facing cons by a lot, because companies need us, and our salaries are expensive.
It's true that they are largely more complex than O.G. web technologies, and it worries me that they create a sort of gatekeeping effect on the industry, but I think it's disingenuous to outright claim React & co. are bad from a development perspective. I sometimes wonder if the people claiming to hate client-side technologies or disable JS in their browsers have actually ever had to build a complex website to put food on their table. My bet is the answer is often no, or they are a contrarian in general.
I've done lots of native development on Desktop and Mobile and I can sort of see how you get there if that's your point of reference, but if you work on web apps daily it's clear why the popular technologies are popular, and it's not hype.
It's true that they are largely more complex than O.G. web technologies, and it worries me that they create a sort of gatekeeping effect on the industry, but I think it's disingenuous to outright claim React & co. are bad from a development perspective. I sometimes wonder if the people claiming to hate client-side technologies or disable JS in their browsers have actually ever had to build a complex website to put food on their table. My bet is the answer is often no, or they are a contrarian in general.
I've done lots of native development on Desktop and Mobile and I can sort of see how you get there if that's your point of reference, but if you work on web apps daily it's clear why the popular technologies are popular, and it's not hype.