I never claimed that Javascript itself was bloated - it's about using the right tool for the right job. The bloat comes from using awful frameworks like Electron to create fake "native" apps, and then fooling users into thinking they're getting a native app, wasting tons CPU resources and sysadmin time trying to fix these bloody Electron apps into shape (speaking as a DevOps guy).

Also, there's a world of options to chose from for shell programming that strike a better balance between performance and practicality, in the spectrum between ASM and JS. Oh, and writing a modern shell in ASM is most definitely fun, you should give it a try sometime. ASM shells - actually, entire operating exists already, if you aren't aware of it. You really should check out MenuetOS or KolibriOS sometime. Sure, it's nothing more than a hobby project, but it's quite fun to take it for a spin, and experience a preview of how fast and effecient operating systems could be.