November 7, 2025
Go big or Go WASM?
Local First Htmx
HTMX goes local-first: fun experiment or 10MB facepalm
TLDR: A dev mixed local-first with HTMX and a big Go WebAssembly component, sparking debate. Fans enjoyed the playful experiment, while critics questioned the 10MB download and asked why WASM at all, revealing a bigger fight over keeping the web fast and simple.
A developer mashed up “local-first” (apps that work fast by storing data on your device and syncing later) with HTMX (a tool that makes web pages reactive without heavy front-end code) and a chunky Go WebAssembly file—then sprinkled in memes and called it Local First HTMX. Cue chaos. The post leans into Meme Driven Development vibes and even drops a sequel: Part 2 is now ready.
The crowd split instantly. One camp snapped, “HTMX isn’t anti‑JavaScript, it uses JavaScript,” insisting you still write code and that’s fine—no need to overhype the meme. Another camp side‑eyed the WASM (code compiled to run in your browser) and asked, basically, why are we running a tiny server on the user’s laptop for simple clicks? The biggest roast: a 10MB Go download that fans dubbed a “no go,” with suggestions to keep it lean with a simple service worker in plain JavaScript.
Meanwhile, the vibe‑check crew loved the mind‑opener and reminded everyone it’s partly a joke—more “art piece” than product. One commenter begged folks to relax: this is a playful mashup of two things the internet loves—snappy local apps (think Linear) and HTMX—with laser‑horse meme energy. The drama? Purists vs pragmatists, memes vs manuals, and everyone asking: is this serious or just seriously funny?
Key Points
- •The article defines local-first apps as keeping UI and data on the client and syncing changes to a remote server.
- •It contrasts local-first with SSR, noting SSR interactions usually require a network round-trip and can feel slower.
- •HTMX is introduced in the context of SSR/HATEOAS, but the author proposes using it in a local-first way without backend HTML rendering.
- •A demonstration “Local First HTMX” todo application is mentioned by the author.
- •A follow-up post (Part 2) is available for further details.