As an end user, I really like the style of applications that GOV.UK write and endorses - lightweight, clean layouts, accessible, and generally work with minimal (or no) JavaScript. And I dislike most SPAs, because they usually end up breaking lots of expected browser functionally, are useless without JavaScript, and often load all kinds of heavy dependencies from various third party sites.
But what users like and what developers like (and can quickly develop) are often very different things.
Ambivalence is a weird thing. People often speak in two minds. We
hate AI, but we love AI. I love ice-cream and crisps. but I tell my
kid not to eat that. As George Carlin said, when you're driving
everybody going 5 mph slower than you is an idiot, and everybody going
5 mph faster is a maniac.
Here on HN we often see the schism between speaking "as a developer"
and "as a user".
As a user I hate a lot of the shit we gleefully enthuse about here.
As a coder it's super cool.
But what users like and what developers like (and can quickly develop) are often very different things.