I don't agree, what you call "back-and-forth" is not negative, actually it appears more like "consistency" to me... and in the end, more than enough for a bazillions of online services and that at a ridicule technical cost compared to the one from Big Tech (not to mention all the corollary issues).
Of course, it is a trade-off, bells-and-whistles from rich GUIs are sexy, but the technical cost of such bells-and-whistles in a web context is grostesquely and absurdely unbalanced compared to what can be achieved with simple and consistent noscript/basic (x)html portals for any pertinent goal of a bazillions of online services.
Of course, it is a trade-off, bells-and-whistles from rich GUIs are sexy, but the technical cost of such bells-and-whistles in a web context is grostesquely and absurdely unbalanced compared to what can be achieved with simple and consistent noscript/basic (x)html portals for any pertinent goal of a bazillions of online services.