I feel like "just sqlite" was really a very practical idea and now, because it has already failed once, we can‘t really try it again, or can we?
Having the spec basically be "bundle one particular piece of software into the browser" might not be in the spirit of web standards, but on the other hand SQLite is so widely bundled into everything, does it really matter?
If you look at the recent StackOverflow survey, the majority of the developers only have around 5 years of professional experience in the industry.
SQL has been around since the 1970s and is still around in force for reason. There's a good chance a lot of developers, especially the enormous number on the front end, do not have experience with SQL or are just getting into back-end work where they are exposed to it.
There have been a lot of SQLite articles recently, as well as node.js libraries to query SQL. I have a hunch this may be why.
I'm sure there are always going to be individuals that will claim that they're better at everything, but that doesn't really mean anything. There are people that believe in a flat earth as well after all
Why the non-relational databases keep getting reinvented has been a bit of a mystery when there is already a rich history of development to look to. I get the feeling a lot of the industry isn't much into history, especially of pre-micro computer systems.
Network databases, key-value stores, graph databases, commercial offerings like Pick... you'd think the NoSQL people would have looked into it all before proclaiming their new found solutions, but apparently not.
He is paraphrasing: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905.
That inspired René Magritte to paint this: https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/those-who-cannot-remember...
Making the connection to events in our lifetime: https://hankeringforhistory.com/those-who-cannot-remember-th...
(edit) Some more reflections on it: https://blog.rtcx.net/remember
That argument was more usually a straw man than a good faith belief.
On the other hand the belief that SQL will solve all our problems seems to be legitimately held by some people.
This reminded me of the writings of a german Philsopher, Heidegger maybe? The proposition was, that development happens in cycles similar to a pendulum swinging while moving upwards. Thesis and Antithesis leading to Synthesis.
Which version do you want to bundle? With which compile flags and which extensions? Do you have a checklist for bug-for-bug compatibility? Because you'll definitely need one when a future SQLite releases a security patch and breaks a million webpages.