January 5, 2026
Offline dreams, online screams
LocalFirst: You Keep Using That Word
Is “local‑first” just offline mode with vibes? The internet can’t agree
TLDR: Local‑first is pitched as a spectrum: apps should work without the cloud, but servers aren’t forbidden and peer‑to‑peer isn’t required. Commenters clash over ideals vs reality—nostalgia for floppies, frustration with spinny wheels, and a plea for usable, self‑hostable sync that doesn’t keep laptops awake.
The local‑first crowd is fighting over definitions, and the comments turned into a full‑on soap opera. The article argues local‑first isn’t a simple label but a spectrum, with servers allowed and peer‑to‑peer (computers talking directly) optional. Cue drama. One camp cheers the ideal of no spinners—apps should work instantly, even if the internet blips—while another shrugs, saying most people just sigh, wait, and retry. As cadamsdotcom put it, users tolerate apps with amnesia because it’s easier than complaining.
The nostalgia squad showed up too: immibis joked that in the old days you’d just “copy your whole home folder to a floppy,” while modernists pitched “cloud‑first but tiny,” like born‑jre’s potatoverse you can run yourself. Meanwhile, the usability skeptics brought receipts: p2p setups sound cool until you’re literally keeping a laptop awake all night just to host a document. The dream of pure peer‑to‑peer collided with reality—people want a reliable service, even if it’s just a beefy box in the closet. Fans of the shared writing experiment via Modal Collective loved the vibe, hated the babysitting.
Strongest opinions? Servers aren’t the devil, p2p isn’t magic, and local‑first means apps should not spin, stall, or forget your stuff. The mood: half idealism, half “please just make it work.”
Key Points
- •The article contends “local-first” is a spectrum and challenges vendor lock-in, making it harder to monetize.
- •It differentiates local-first from offline-first, noting local-first implies multi-device operation in distributed contexts.
- •Servers are compatible with local-first; p2p is not required, and non-peer sync is acceptable.
- •Client/server local-first apps should allow user self-hosting, implying services must be open source.
- •The “no spinners” ideal emphasizes immediate local responsiveness; Bitwarden clients are cited as slowing access when offline.