I hate web front ends

[DieScum]

I hate web front ends. They are invariably, invariably terrible. You click a button and wait a minute for the next screen, then all the text is deleted randomly, then the browser crashes.

Every system I have ever worked on with a web frontend has been rubbish. I just want to type text then have it saved centrally for other people to see. it should work and be simple.

[unemployed]

I prefer a nice gooey front end

[DimPrawn]

The web front ends I create are easy to use, fast and reliable.

However 90% of the web front ends (especially online banks) I come across are appalling.

[VectraMan]

One website I've seen uses a completely client side flash shopping basket system. It's not that great to be honest, but it feels weird to use because everything responds instantly. It just shows how we've all come to have low user-interface expectations because of the web.

On the plus side, having moved everything from the server, to the desktop and back to the server again, no doubt there'll be lots of work for us moving everything back to the desktop again.

[Jubber]

Good when needed.

I find that often they are implemented when NOT necessary (internally) and an older more robust solution is better/faster, e.g. MS Access front end (unbound forms etc.) running on a proper database (Oracle, SQL Server)

[Marina]

However 90% of the web front ends (especially online banks) I come across are appalling.

Tell me about it - My bank emailed me only the other day, saying I had to confirm all my account details, and I noticed spelling mistakes on the page!

Talk about sloppy - Must be the outsourcing to Nigeria, if the URL was anything to go by. Got it all sorted though, so I shouldn't have any trouble with Internet banking now.

[PAH]

Tell me about it - My bank emailed me only the other day, saying I had to confirm all my account details, and I noticed spelling mistakes on the page!

Talk about sloppy - Must be the outsourcing to Nigeria, if the URL was anything to go by. Got it all sorted though, so I shouldn't have any trouble with Internet banking now.

Hmmmm, something fishy here. A 'woman' with a sophisticated (by my standards) sense of humour. Have the AtW fembots finally achieved self-awareness and will go on to re-make Westworld?

[darmstadt]

I hate web front ends. They are invariably, invariably terrible. You click a button and wait a minute for the next screen, then all the text is deleted randomly, then the browser crashes.

Every system I have ever worked on with a web frontend has been rubbish. I just want to type text then have it saved centrally for other people to see. it should work and be simple.

Nothing like a good old 3270 green screen...

[51st State]

The web front ends I create are easy to use, fast and reliable.

However 90% of the web front ends (especially online banks) I come across are appalling.

Which banks out of interest? And why appalling?

[portseven]

Nothing like a good old 3270 green screen...

Agreed, or even a nice vt100 green screen. My last gig they replaced a green screen app with a GUI (MS Axapta), it went from 1 Unix server serving 1200 users, to 25 Windows Boxes serving the same user population.

By far the biggest complaint was the increase in time taken to enter the same data they used to enter. With green screen, a user could enter a contract in about 5 minutes, it now takes about 30mins to do the same.

Add to that the tulipe performance over the WAN of the Windows desktop.

Have seen the same at other places, replacing green screen apps, with a GUI. Always kills productivity.

As for web apps, AJAX has improved things somewhat.