As a Svelte user this argument rings hollow. You can't judge frontend by React and the way it's badly used.
IMO you can because it’s the vast majority of webapp usage today. I’m also a heavy Svelte user and I love it but front end web dev is practically a React monoculture so it makes sense to think about it when evaluating options.
I’m not saying it isn’t a problem inherent in web components, it is. But using it as a reason to not adopt web components runs contrary to the logic the vast majority of the industry currently uses. Perfect as the enemy of good and all that.
You won't get a Svelte to look past the flaws of web components by saying "React is bad".
The article we’re discussing is titled “Web Components are okay”, not “Web Components are better than Svelte for webdevladder and their users”.
Like I already said, I use and like Svelte. But the vast majority of the web dev ecosystem uses React. Web components would be better than everyone using React. Arguably everyone using Svelte could be better still but that’s a separate debate.
> your response brings up React as if it somehow changes that.
It does. Because the industry clearly has no problem with a large upfront cost, given that it imposes one today. Web components would be better than what we have today even if it isn’t the ideal.