Web Development × Engineering Management × Philosophy
Articles and books on the craft of web development (specifically, HTML and CSS optimization and maintainability) as well as on engineering management and leadership. (Exceptions prove the rule.)
Eleventy: A GitHub Workflow to Check if an Automated Dependency Update Would Break Your Site
A little safety measure to prevent updates to package.json, package-lock.json, and .nvmrc (or similar) from causing a hiccup.
#70 · · development
How I Run Eleventy (It’s Complicated?)
Aliases, debug mode, non-versioned builds as part of a centralized, versioned site exports repo—and the thinking behind it all.
#69 · · development
5 Ways to Reduce HTML File Size on Your Website, Step 0
The journey begins with an unpopular step.
#68 · · development
Empathy
Lack of empathy is not a sign of strength, but a liability for all of us.
#67 · · misc
New Book: Tara (A Utopia)
A human-inspired, AI-generated, human-edited story about refusing to live in a dystopia—and transforming the world instead.
Micro-Scrum
Decide on one thing to ship, then ship (or learn).
#65 · · management
Markup Languages
Just something to remember HDML, DHTML, WML, and cHTML.
#64 · · development
Where to Put a Mouse or Trackpad
On a setup that is standard on notebooks but that seems unpopular on desktops.
#63 · · misc
Where Frontend Dogma Gets Its News From
On sources for news and views that approach 4,000 items per year.
#62 · · development
Utilization
Why don’t we talk more about queueing theory.
#61 · · management
Prisoner’s Dilemma
On “tit for tat” with about 10% more forgiveness.
#60 · · philosophy, misc
Forwarding Appreciated: A WhatsApp [and Signal and LinkedIn] Link Sharing Bug That Cannot Be Reported
There’s an issue with WhatsApp link sharing that cannot be brought to WhatsApp’s attention. If you know someone at WhatsApp, please help (support appreciated with Signal and LinkedIn, too).
#59 · · development
A Moratorium on Men Making Major Decisions
On the many news you’ve read today about a woman or a non-binary person invading another country, driving into a crowd, firing workers to maximize profits, raising taxes for low-income people, denying help, cutting benefits, beating someone up, setting a homeless person on fire, raping someone, making the life of a minority hell, endorsing or escalating a genocide, slashing education funding, or doing other WTF.
#58 · · misc
DeepSeek and HTML
“What is the most minimal valid HTML document?”, DeepSeek-R1 edition.
#57 · · development
On Ethics in Web Development (With a Brief Overview of Ethical Theories)
When we read and talk about ethics in technology, it’s rare that we’re explicit about the school(s) of thought we’re following. Surprisingly, this lack of clarity often works—but it’s relevant, interesting, and useful to be more clear about our ethical theories.
#56 · · development, philosophy
Website Optimization Measures, Part XXX
Everybody ♥️ website maintenance. On trimming input, updating WordPress ping services, cleaning up Eleventy architecture, reorganizing redirects, synchronizing server log configs, replacing dependencies by native Node functionality, adding minimal dark mode (HTML edition), and unfancying error pages.
#55 · · development
New to Web Development? Run Your Own Website
On the perhaps shortest advice for anyone entering the field (which is also sound for everyone in it).
#54 · · development
On Deciding Who We Are
When a country cannot agree to “advancing a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine” (or other countries).
#53 · · philosophy, misc
Order Force in HTML?
Do you, too, find certain ways of ordering attributes to be more natural than others?
#52 · · development
Testing 10 JavaScript Frameworks on Their HTML Defaults
When you validate the demo and starter projects of popular frameworks like React, Vue, Angular, Svelte, Astro, &c., what do you find? On challenging the idea that JavaScript frameworks could fuel the HTML crisis.
#51 · · development
On Making Sure Everyone Is Taken Care Of
For our own sake.
#50 · · philosophy, misc
DORA, SPACE, DevEx, DX Core 4
Key metrics of and casual thoughts on four engineering productivity frameworks.
#49 · · management
The Donkey and the Rabbit
A rabbit goes for her daily run. This day, she decides to try a new route. At an intersection she meets a donkey. When the donkey is about to eat a nail—
#48 · · philosophy, misc
On Building AI Understanding and Automation Muscle (With 18 Random Problems Solved With AI)
If you’re like me, you’re also optimizing your use of AI in development, distinguishing your capabilities from AI, and improving your routine to build strong automation muscle. Thoughts and examples.
#47 · · development
Private Property
A quote, from Daniel Loick, that isn’t new, that isn’t all.
#46 · · philosophy, misc