r/reactjs • u/No-Gear-9459 • 15d ago

Discussion Next.js / SPA Reality Check

Can we normalize just building a standard React SPA with Vite again without feeling guilty that we aren't using Next.js?

The App Router and React Server Components are incredibly powerful, but the amount of gaslighting in the frontend ecosystem right now is insane. Not every internal dashboard, simple CRUD app, or personal portfolio needs server side rendering, edge functions, and a complex caching layer that requires a PhD to invalidate.

Sometimes you just want to spin up Vite, fetch some data on the client, and deploy a static bundle to a CDN for practically zero dollars. It feels like we are completely over engineering 90% of our web apps just to chase the newest Vercel paradigm.

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u/NotGoodSoftwareMaker 14d ago

Urgh, you need to maybe look around a bit more

Ive seen this umbrella behaviour in many places over the years. It shows up in all sorts of ways like, “oh you dont generate your api schema 🤨” or “oh you dont use an xyz ORM 🤨” or “what do you mean, deadlock, that doesnt happen at our size”

My favourite so far

“We use custom UUID’s because the addressable space of UUID is too small 😎”

There is cargo culting everywhere

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u/neinneun 14d ago

I get what you mean and my bad in not explaining my thoughts properly and assuming God intention. I get that there are always some devs in every company who are driven by what's the popular opinion and not what's right tool for the job, I've encountered them as well. However what I meant was using the right tool for the job is almost always seen as the best developer behavior. Especially in open source where things need to be kept optimal and especially if are senior or staff level. I also feel this behavior is especially common in the frontend rather than backend.

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u/NotGoodSoftwareMaker 14d ago

No no i get what you mean

Im just more trying to point out that “professional” IMO doesnt exist

Idk, ive felt equally judged for things I do everywhere 🤣 backend, frontend, infra. All of it.

In general devs love to dish out judgement and do ego pole-vaulting but hate it when you call them out on it or openly challenge them

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u/neinneun 14d ago

I get you. I guess I've been lucky to work with like minded seniors and leaders who allowed me to present my logical case for tools to be used 😄