I mean, additionally, the web is a really good multi-OS platform. It's write once run anywhere. No other platform/GUI library is getting anywhere near as much attention, so it makes sense to piggyback off web technologies.

I've written my fair share of low level systems languages but if I needed to write a cross-platform GUI app I would write it in electron no questions asked.

I find it almost comical these days because if this were an app that was a docker container / self hostable, people wouldn't bat an eye or would applaud it for supporting multiple platforms. However, if you wrap it in Electron for ease-of-use + some desktop integration, you get torn a new one.

Sure there's cross-platform UI applications out there like VLC, but like you said web technologies are maintaining attention right now and DO provide a lot of benefits.

I, like you, would not be embarrassed in the slightest to release something in Electron. I know about its bloat. I'm also aware that it means I can create a good looking application without spending a ton of time trying to figure out how to implement it.

Java swing!

But having worked with that for a decade - I have to agree with you. If you work for customers (as opposed to in-house software), it makes much more sense to use the web technologies for that.

We use Go for the backend though, so you can use a "real language" on the backend.

I do have some hopes for Go on the frontend as well with webassembly. :)

You mean Electron is making the Web a good multi-OS platform? You would get all the same bloat of Electron except it would also be on the server side.

You just end up with less-than-optimal solutions when you have an X developer create something for platform Y. People end up writing C++ like C, Python like PHP, and Javascript like BASIC.