Web Development × Engineering Management × Philosophy (2)
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.)
Google 2025
There are some things I find weird and disappointing about the Google of today.
#45 · · misc
Cool URLs Don’t Change, Unless…
A deferential (though not new) refinement of Tim Berners-Lee’s 1998 classic.
#44 · · development
Website Optimization Measures, Part XXIX
From cleaning up behind files and feature policies and Eleventy plugins to fun with CSS selectors and transitions to improving tables of contents to switching to ESM to testing bfcache to refactoring lists to tables.
#43 · · development
My 18-Months Rule for Open-Source Contributions
You make a good-faith contribution to an open-source project. There’s never a response. What do you do? On a rule I’ve established for my own open-source work, and the reasons behind it.
#42 · · development
An Overview of the 50 Highest-Ranking Web Design and Development Glossaries
If you want to look up terms, there are dozens if not hundreds of tech glossaries. However, a search quickly shows differences in how comprehensive and therefore useful these glossaries are—and doesn’t show whether the glossaries are being updated. A view at the glossary landscape.
#41 · · design, development
2024
Professional and personal highlights from the past year. Happy 2025!
#40 · · misc
CSS: How to Indicate Container Overflow, When There Is Overflow
You have a block of text that you can’t shorten and yet that you don't want to give too much space, so as not to draw attention away from other content. It’s useful metadata that you like to show. On a stopgap option using scroll-driven animations.
#39 · · design, development
The CSS Reset Contradiction
Re-publishing my article for SitePoint, discussing what I think we miss in our conversations: Notably, what are the premises for CSS resets? What’s the reality—or are the realities? And, how could we also approach resets?
#38 · · development
HTML Conformance: A Comparison of 6.5 npm Validator Packages (With 1.5 Recommendations)
What do you do if you want to make sure you’re not writing and shipping fantasy HTML, but choose to or have to avoid the web-based W3C HTML validator?
#37 · · development
When We Need Systems, Processes, and Conventions
Oh the bore.
#36 · · development, management
Genocide Dilemma
On what it means that we’re still committing and accepting genocides.
#35 · · misc
What Is HTML Optimization? What Is It Not?
Is HTML optimization as well-defined as we need it to be? A look at what’s out there and an attempt to be clearer.
#34 · · development
How to Add WebGlossary.info as a Search Engine in Your Browser
In short, you can search the glossary via “https://webglossary.info/search/%s”.
#33 · · development
Website Optimization Measures, Part XXVIII
What is it this time? Medium links, font smoothing, Eleventy templates, Bluesky handles and support, post automation, front matter quotes, and Twitter/X links. In this order.
#32 · · development
The Image Compression Challenge Results
How many projects cannot losslessly be compressed further, how much would I donate for the challenge I invited to?
#31 · · development
Where Has All the Valid HTML Gone
When we look at the state of HTML… how much of it actually <em>is</em> HTML?
#30 · · development
What I Learned About That Difficult Childhood
On a changing—and perhaps transcending—perspective on pain.
#29 · · philosophy, misc
1 + 2 Engineering Team Priorities
Are great teams “just doing the work”?
#28 · · development
8 AI Tips for Web Developers (and Their Careers)
AI is everywhere and comes with many problems and challenges. Yet as web developers, we need to adapt to a reality with AI. A few ideas on how we can make use of AI to the benefit of our work and our careers.
#27 · · development
When You Are Rich
On what you do as a person who is very rich.
#26 · · misc
3 Things to Note About Democracy
If we think democracy can do without education, constructive intentions, and quality candidates, I believe we’re not getting democracy—and risk it.
#25 · · misc
Everyone Can Set You Up for Failure, Not Everyone Sets You Up for Success
On a conscious choice that we can make, and that we best make sure others make.
#24 · · philosophy, misc
The Image Compression Challenge (Donating Money for Excess-Free Projects)
Here’s a frontend challenge. Run an image compression tool capable of near-losslessly compressing PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP, and AVIF images over one of your main projects. Share if nothing could be compressed. I donate money for each of such projects.
#23 · · development
Website Optimization Measures, Part XXVII
On improvements involving Eleventy (3), Lightning CSS, Imagemin Guard, early hints, ads, creator metadata, and custom/programmable search engines.
#22 · · development
Results = Ć’(Competence Ă— Time)
On a model that can tell us something about how we work, and how we could work.
#21 · · management