Why You Should Trust Blazor

Yesterday I heard from a social media friend (who will remain nameless) that he doesn't trust Blazor because it's from Microsoft and in his words "they'll abandon it for the next shiny object." Is that true? Is Blazor the next Silverlight, WPF, Winforms, Visual InterDev... I'll stop listing dead stuff now. In Microsoft's defense, old tech dies. And as the leading developer tools, developer framework company, they can't ignore progress. But can you trust Microsoft and Blazor?

Blazor, a very cool framework for building interactive client-side web applications with .NET, has made waves in the programming world since its first stable release. It garnered the trust and respect of the developer community due to a variety of reasons including its innovative technical approach, efficiency, and the promising fact that it is open source. However, the shadows of past technologies that Microsoft discontinued or de-emphasized still loom large in developers' minds. But let me make the case for Blazor and explain why it's different from those past projects.

A Technological Jump
Blazor signifies a revolution in the web development world. Traditionally, JavaScript was the unchallenged king of client-side web programming. Blazor has disrupted this scenario by enabling developers to run C# in the browser using WebAssembly. It eliminates the need for plugins or transpilation to JavaScript, allowing developers to use a single language and runtime for both client and server-side coding.

WebAssembly, an open standard backed by all major browsers, is a binary instruction format that allows code to run at near-native speed in the web browser. This is a significant advantage for performance-critical web applications. Blazor provides a way for .NET developers to leverage WebAssembly's benefits without learning a new language or toolchain.

The architectural design of Blazor promotes code reuse and component-based development, which leads to maintainable and modular codebases. With Blazor, developers can build rich, interactive web interfaces using .NET and Razor syntax, which offers improved developer productivity and the ability to leverage existing .NET libraries and tools.

Lessons From The Past 🔥
Microsoft's history includes several technologies that, although innovative and promising, were eventually abandoned or overshadowed by newer offerings. Examples include Silverlight, Windows Phone, and others. These shifts raised valid concerns among developers about the longevity and future support of Microsoft's technologies.

It's important to acknowledge that Microsoft's approach to software development and its relationship with the developer community have evolved significantly over the years. Today, Microsoft has a strong commitment to open-source projects. It's the major contributor to open-source projects such as VSCode, TypeScript, and .NET Core -- all of which enjoy widespread use and support.

The Open Source Advantage
Blazor's open-source nature provides a crucial differentiator compared to past Microsoft technologies. It is a part of the ASP.NET Core family, which is also open source. Being open source means that its codebase is publicly available, and anyone can contribute to its development. This not only ensures continuous improvement but also transparency, reducing dependency on Microsoft's whims.

The success of an open-source project is a collaborative effort, and it depends on the participation of the community. With an active community of developers contributing to its development and growth, Blazor benefits from a constant influx of ideas, bug fixes, and enhancements.

Open source also provides a sense of security for developers. Even if Microsoft decides to de-emphasize Blazor in the future, the community can continue its development. This level of assurance is hard to find in proprietary technologies, and it's a significant reason why open-source projects are often more sustainable.

The Future is Bright🔅
As we look to the future, it's clear that Blazor is poised for growth. Its technical prowess, combined with its open-source nature, presents a powerful combination. Given the current trajectory, it's reasonable to expect that Blazor will continue to evolve and grow, regardless of the direction Microsoft takes.

Blazor is a technological gem that deserves your trust. It is an innovative, efficient, and reliable framework that promotes code reuse and offers the advantage of a single language for both server and client-side development. The fact that it is open source makes it resilient to the uncertainties that proprietary technologies often face. Trusting Blazor is not just about trusting Microsoft; it's about trusting a vibrant, collaborative community that is shaping the future of web development.