Actually, the idea that I so can easily launch a full browser in context is what has me wanting to give this a shot.

I would love a less cluttered and less resource intensive web experience. I also know is unrealistic in 2022 to have a normal day of browser activity without needing JavaScript and / or CSS.

If I can use a text browser much of the time and easily switch to a full browser only when I need it, that sounds like the best of both worlds. Lots of what I browse would likely be even nicer text only. This very site comes to mind.

> If using a regular modern browser is a superset of the experience of w3m, why do I want to add the extra level of inconvenient indirection?

Because using a 'regular modern browser' is not a superset; it also lacks certain things, such as freedom from JavaScript, freedom from some forms of tracking and it is incompatible with the terminal or other text-based environments. Some folks find those things to be worthwhile.

If it is a inconvenient indirection for you, than w3m is probably not the right tool.

The linked article mentions some reasons. I use it, because it fits my console-focused work style. It's blanzigly fast, removes all the distractions like unnecessary images and ads, doesn't require me to take my hands of the keyboard, works very well if I'm working on a mobile hotspot, can be used while being ssh'd into a server... and because opening the side in a regular modern browser is only a key press away.