How web bloat impacts users with slow devices (danluu.com)

Article summary

The article discusses how web bloat affects users with slow devices, highlighting that many modern websites are unusable on low-end devices due to high CPU usage and large page sizes. The author tests various websites on different devices, including a Tecno Spark 8C and an Itel P32, and finds that many sites are slow or crash on these devices. The article also notes that older websites tend to be faster than newer ones, and that sites that use modern techniques like dynamic loading tend to be less usable on low-end devices. The author argues that this is a problem because many users around the world use low-end devices and are excluded from accessing many websites.

Main themes

• Web bloat
• Slow devices
• Accessibility
• Website performance
• Modern web development
• User experience

What commenters say

• The prevalence of web bloat is a result of companies prioritizing features and revenue over user experience and accessibility.
• The shift towards modern web development techniques has led to a decrease in website performance and usability on low-end devices.
• Some argue that bloat is not a problem, as it allows for faster development and more features, and that users will simply upgrade to newer devices.
• Others counter that this approach excludes users who cannot afford or do not have access to newer devices, and that it is the responsibility of developers to ensure their websites are usable on a range of devices.
• There is a debate about the importance of optimizing for older devices and browsers, with some arguing that it is no longer necessary due to automatic updates and others arguing that it is still essential for accessibility.
• The use of dynamic loading and other modern techniques can make websites less usable on low-end devices, and that a more nuanced approach to web development is needed.
• Some commenters argue that the problem of web bloat is not just a technical issue, but also a result of business priorities and the desire for profit over user experience.
• Others suggest that the solution to web bloat lies in better education and awareness among developers about the importance of accessibility and performance.