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@pheonix Something else I hadn't considered that helps explain why these apps get made, perhaps even initially in good faith, is that many mobile users are reluctant to use web browsers. Their app store is the first place they look, rather than a web search engine. A publisher that doesn't want to miss those readers will therefore want to show up in the app store.
And then the "benefits" of a more publisher-controlled experience would make them want to direct their web users to the app too.
@pheonix Re: the obsession with publisher-specific apps: apps can grab way more data than web browsers will let publishers have, and because it's a lot harder to get around adverts and paywalls in an app.
It also creates a soft lock-in of sorts, someone who's installed a news app will probably use that instead of going to other publishers, and they're less likely to forget about this specific publisher.
Higher retention and higher CTR due to less blocking are appealing to suits xP
@VictimOfSimony A lot of the most problematic weight isn't graphics, it's scripts and data being shunted between you, the website you want to read, and a load of 3rd parties.
Websites already *do* usually use vectors and CSS for most things where those are practical. Those elements are a tiny portion of the weight compared to scripts (and their dynamic data movement) and photographic images/video.
@djamilaknopf I have a strong preference for the lake, which means the bus will probably sell better ;D
