Ssr Should Be Default

Hey there fellow developers! If you’re like me, you’re always on the lookout for the latest and greatest technologies and trends in web development. And one trend that I’ve been seeing more and more of lately (well, a few years now..) is the use of server-side rendering (SSR) for web applications.

Now, I know that some of you may be thinking, “But wait, I’ve been using single-page applications (SPAs) for years and they’ve worked just fine!” And you’re right, SPAs have been a popular choice for web development for a while now. But as technology and user needs have evolved, I think it’s time for us to start thinking about SSR as the default for web applications.

One of the biggest reasons for this is the rise of mobile devices and the need for faster loading times. SPAs rely heavily on JavaScript to load and render content, which can be slow and clunky on mobile devices with limited processing power. SSR, on the other hand, allows for the rendering of web pages on the server, reducing the load on the client’s device and improving the performance of web pages. This is especially important for users with slow internet connections or limited data plans.

Another reason to consider SSR is better SEO. Google and other search engines have had difficulty indexing the content on SPAs, making it difficult for users to find them through search. With SSR, the content is pre-rendered on the server, so search engines can easily index it, making it more likely that users will find your web application through search.

And let’s not forget about maintainability and scalability. SSR makes it easier to handle updates and bug fixes since the code is organized on the server side, making it easier to identify and fix bugs. Additionally, SSR allows you to split your codebase into smaller, more manageable chunks, making it easier to scale your web application as it grows.

Now, I know that some of you may be thinking, “But what about the user experience? Won’t SSR make my web application feel slow and clunky?” And you’re right, SSR can introduce some latency and make the initial load time slower. But there are ways to mitigate this, such as using techniques like code-splitting and lazy loading to reduce the amount of code that needs to be loaded on initial load.

All that being said, I’m not saying that SPAs are bad and should never be used. They are still widely used, and they can be useful in certain cases, such as when building a web application that requires a lot of client-side logic or when you need a fast and responsive user interface. But I think it’s important for us as developers to start thinking about SSR as the default for web applications. It’s a powerful tool that can help us build faster, more performant, and more SEO-friendly web applications.

In conclusion, as technology and user needs continue to evolve, it’s important for us as developers to stay aware of the latest developments in web development and to choose the solution that best meets the needs of our projects. And I believe that more and more, that solution is going to be server-side rendering. So, let’s start thinking of SSR as the default for web applications and see the positive impact it can have on our projects.