> [installing] applications on mobile devices pushes the power towards the user more
On the other hand, on a website I can relatively easily block trackers and suspicious network requests, or ensure that links open in my preferred browser, rather than an app-specific browser that tracks everything I do.
I get the attraction of being able to keep and use old versions. But websites give me way more control over what they actually do on my device.
(And in practice, in many cases I don't expect the code that runs locally to be the barrier to longevity. As soon as server-side APIs change, having access to an older version of the client code doesn't bring you much.)
On the other hand, on a website I can relatively easily block trackers and suspicious network requests, or ensure that links open in my preferred browser, rather than an app-specific browser that tracks everything I do.
I get the attraction of being able to keep and use old versions. But websites give me way more control over what they actually do on my device.
(And in practice, in many cases I don't expect the code that runs locally to be the barrier to longevity. As soon as server-side APIs change, having access to an older version of the client code doesn't bring you much.)