Computing On The Edge - 202326
The Headless Way
Every now and then, I might have to jump between different operating systems, and what I find frustrating the most is programmer's hybris in reinventing new brighter ways to do the same things all the time.
Pull a lever, push a drawer, drag a toggle, center the 2 pixels wide toggle that opens an accordion.
Radio buttons can appear in any euclidan shape that is known on the planet.
Wait for the right pane in the carousel before clicking on an item.
Not talking about crazy hand gestures here: just plain machines with a keyboard and some conventional pointer.
The UI trends are such that there is continuous obsolence: the way you push a button gets old and you are not current, you are out of luck: you need to upgrade, or click around to see if something moves.
We need to keep running in order to stand still in the same place.
Beside programmed obsolescence, this whole frontend show is just an excuse to keep a ton of surveillance libraries that spy on user behaviour.
It's so pervasive that most developers think they are just importing fancier fonts, a convenient way to count the users, make them happier, show you're a professional.
But let me be clear here: you do not need Google-whatever in order to understand your visitors.
You must have some kind of server event or logs, if you didn't fall for the ServerLess trap.
And if instead you thought Google is giving you so much insight: it's you who are giving them all your data while selling off your users and their privacy.
Apart from that, I think GUIs are not an interesting level of abstraction: their purpose is to let the user feel at home, apart that, with all the programs that you use everyday, you visit quite a number of homes... none of which is your own.
Having an headless mode for most program is a way you can make them your own, your way.
Just give us an API, maybe a CLI, and we can feel at home with our level of customization.
Some level of scripting goes a long way, and gives you the chance to really "personalize the experience", quite unlike the persecution of a cookie banner and their pals.
But it does not have to be, just give me some sort of API, and I will have my own frontend, however it's going to be.
We need more Headless CMS, Headless CRM, Headless CI/CD, whatever: but Headless.
Do not force on me illegibly tiny gray fonts on white: you are not me, I am not you, what looks elegant for you might just be tiring for me.
Whatever follows the trend now won't last: when the youngest generation of frontend developers will grow old, some will start to change those lightgray italics back to black, big squared fonts, if the whole purpose of this text is actually to be read and understood.
The ones who will embrace an Headless approach are here to stay.
Don't put too much stakes on the UI, as customs come and go, but the data that is important today will likely be important tomorrow.
Boring Security
Indirect CRL generation CRL validation ann OCSP validation
The Way To Go
[security] [api] [privacy]