Jens Oliver Meiert
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.)
On Deciding Who We Are
When a country cannot agree to “advancing a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine” (or other countries).
Order Force in HTML?
Do you, too, find certain ways of ordering attributes to be more natural than others?
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.
On Making Sure Everyone Is Taken Care Of
For our own sake.
DORA, SPACE, DevEx, DX Core 4
Key metrics of and casual thoughts on four engineering productivity frameworks.
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—
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.
Private Property
A quote, from Daniel Loick, that isn’t new, that isn’t all.
Cool URLs Don’t Change, Unless…
A deferential (though not new) refinement of Tim Berners-Lee’s 1998 classic.
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.
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.
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.
2024
Professional and personal highlights from the past year. Happy 2025!
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.
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?
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?
When We Need Systems, Processes, and Conventions
Oh the bore.
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.
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”.
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.
The Image Compression Challenge Results
How many projects cannot losslessly be compressed further, how much would I donate for the challenge I invited to?
Where Has All the Valid HTML Gone
When we look at the state of HTML… how much of it actually is HTML?
What I Learned About That Difficult Childhood
On a changing—and perhaps transcending—perspective on pain.
1 + 2 Engineering Team Priorities
Are great teams “just doing the work”?
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.
About Me
I’m Jens Oliver Meiert (short: Jens), and I’m a web developer, manager, and author.
Apart from engineering management and leadership, I specialize in minimal, tailored frontend development, contribute to web standards, and write technical books, like The Little Book of HTML/CSS Frameworks, On Web Development, CSS Optimization Basics, the Upgrade Your HTML series, and The Web Development Glossary.
I also study and occasionally write about philosophy.
Get a good look at web development? Try WebGlossary.info—and The Web Development Glossary 3K. With explanations and definitions for thousands of terms of web development, web design, and related fields, building on Wikipedia as well as MDN Web Docs. Available at Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books, and Leanpub.