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Comment by junon | Hacker News Reader

Is this another electron app? Why? This is 100% doable in the browser and has been done before with other sites. Why do I need to spend 300MiB of ram to search for domain names?

Sorry to sound negative, it's just... the electron fad is getting really old.

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Why not browser? As mention in the other comment, I've been using some web-based tools. Somehow, they don't last (ie. namemesh, or domainsfortherestofus that @pwdisswordfish8 mention went offline for sometimes).

Then I thought having a desktop app would be great. For long term, you don't have to worry the site is down.

How would you meaningfully use this tool in offline mode?

Not using it offline, definitely need the internet.

What I meant was, you don't have to worry if the tool you're using suddenly disappears.

I have no idea how people aren’t getting this. People, if the website that the tool is hosted on is down or gone, then you are dead out of water. That’s why he made a local tool. Get it?

Yes, though electron still isn't required.

I don’t necessarily disagree with you on that point.

The code can't run with only client JS. It needs a backend. ElectronJS allows running NodeJS as backend.

I tried React Native (only support JS on the client-side, need to build native modules to run some core functions for languages), Flutter (a few missing utilities, not so familiar).

I have answer why a desktop app in other comments so I won't repeat. Electron is the best fit in this situation.

I could be wrong but just firing up a modern web browser is going to use more ram than that. Theoretically if you shut down the browser and opened the app you would be using less ram? Personably would not be worried about ram on a modern device and electron apps run on most OS’s so a good choice overall.

I mean, just don't use it?

Mm yes the old "criticism isn't valid unless it's positive" approach.

No, you're simply not the target market, which is the reason why your criticism is discounted. The target market appears to be people who want an app that will still work if OP decides at some point he no longer wants to build/operate the service. They can still fire up the electron app. It's a valid choice that you needn't agree with.

You can achieve this without electron. My criticism had nothing to do with that use-case.

The whole concept of "discounting criticism" based on... what, exactly? is preposterous.

eh, the idea is cool.

but I'm not downloading an application just for a simple use case that a website could take care of.

(Otherwise I'd have a bunch of unnecessary apps I use rarely or not at all after the first one or few times. This is what happened with phone apps-- the phone app market got saturated and people rapidly stopped caring about phone apps).

Instead, I'd add your "Look up <some value proposition> domain name" website's link to a document I have on resources for marketing-- a document that includes links to business name generators.

But an app? Nah. That's overkill: Your app does not need access to my computer. I'll find an alternative (hosted online) and use it instead.

I agree. Why would I download an app for something that can be done in a browser?

also, something you will do a couple times at most a year.

There are actually power users in this space who might need the tool on a weekly basis. It's niche, but they exist.

Right on. This is who the tool was built for

How can you be mad? They offer Linux support for chistsake.

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