Comment by skybrian
1 day ago
Interesting how Web API’s and mobile have gone in different directions. If a web browser breaks compatibility too much then it’s a broken browser.
1 day ago
Interesting how Web API’s and mobile have gone in different directions. If a web browser breaks compatibility too much then it’s a broken browser.
Compatibility is broken constantly on the web, but it is forward compatibility. This is why most browsers now auto-update to newer versions. Websites then require new features which will result in older browsers being non-functional.
Backward incompatible changes happen - they are more difficult due to lack of communication with/pressure on the sites they will break, and coordination of strategy with other browser vendors. This can actually be quite frustrating, as each browser has their own 1-3 month cadence for new releases and it is difficult to track whether a breaking change is going to land on any given browser soon enough to coordinate a new version of a site.
True, complicated websites need to be tested. But if a web site serves simple web pages then it generally doesn’t have a maintenance burden. (Though, link rot happens to everyone.)
For all practical purposes it works as long as it is Chrome, that is how modern Web development has become.