i absolutely hate how the modern web just fails to load if one has javascript turned off. i, as a user, should be able to switch off javascript and have the site work exactly as it does with javascript turned on. it’s not a hard concept, people.
but you ask candidates to explain “graceful degradation” and they’ll sit and look at you with a blank stare.
It’s simple when it’s all SSR or it’s all client side rendered (CSR). In my experience, mixing is when the headache sets in. There are benefits to SSR and CSR. You want a webpage that works without JavaScript, use SSR. You want a persistent video player that continues the current video as you navigate pages on your site, use CSR.