2024 (2)
3 Good Reasons for Vegan and Vegetarian “Substitute” Products
On acknowledging forms, maintaining connection, and making it easier to live empathically and sustainably.
The Essence of Veganism
On not having anyone suffer or die for us.
Know the “search” Element
Let’s talk about element #112.
#28 · · development, html
The Price of a Dream
A look at what it costs to travel the world, a decade later.
#27 · adventure
Website Optimization Measures, Part XXIV
On AVIF tests, book prices, AI experiments, Eleventy performance, IE scripts and styles, domain registrations, site headers, and (old) document functionality that can better be handled by native HTML elements than by handmade scripts.
#26 · · development, design, optimization
Death by Experience
It’s possible to hire too much experience, and it costs diversity and culture.
#25 · management
Website Optimization Measures, Part XXIII
Affiliate marketing and ads and Brave Rewards. HTML elements and dotenv and Git. Spellings and designs and stuff.
#24 · · development, design, optimization
We Need to Talk More About Conformance, if We Want to Stop Fantasy HTML
Conformant and valid HTML is the exception on websites and in apps, even though valid output is a sign of professional web development. Given how rarely the topic is being discussed these days, we benefit from raising more awareness for HTML conformance and validation.
#23 · · development, html, conformance
The Great Tech and People Hypocrisy
When we value people so much that we “rif” them even with cash in the bank, maybe we don’t value them as much as we say we do. On a two-faced industry that needs firing standards as much as it needs hiring standards.
#22 · management
Now Available: Upgrade Your HTML V!
The newest part of the ebook series for HTML craftspeople and minimalists, touching on past, present, and future of the greatest document language ever specified.
#21 · · books, development, html, minimalism, optimization
Critical Feedback: Four Approaches and One Twist
Feedback is important so that we can learn and improve. Critical feedback is important to expose, validate, and address areas of growth and development. I believe that fundamentally, there are four approaches to critical feedback.
#20 · · management, misc
April 24 Is JS Naked Day
Every year on April 9 we, a part of our field, do without CSS; from this year on, on April 24, there’s an opportunity to temporarily swear off JavaScript.
#19 · · development, javascript
Declining 1:1 Meetings Without a Message Is Rude
It happens everywhere, but it sets a bad example.
#18 · misc
Highlights From “On Liberty” (John Stuart Mill)
“The fatal tendency of mankind to leave off thinking about a thing when it is no longer doubtful, is the cause of half their errors. A contemporary author has well spoken of “the deep slumber of a decided opinion.‘”
#17 · philosophy
Highlights From “The Psychology of Revolution” (Gustave Le Bon)
“Men judge with their intelligence, and are guided by their characters. To understand a man fully one must separate these two elements.”
#16 · misc
Sustainability Trap
On the need to take and at the same time reassign responsibility for consumption and pollution.
Exploitation
What and who is easiest to take advantage of and exploit, how is that being justified, and what can be done about it? On one piece of the puzzle what the fewest things are that need changing, to change everything.
#14 · · philosophy, misc, advocacy
Julia and Sybil
The early manuscript of a novel I started in 2015, and that will still take a few years to be finished.
#13 · · philosophy, misc
On the Gift of OKR for Company Culture
“OKR,” short for aspiration, candor, and accountability.
#12 · management
Building Websites and Building Websites Well
On exercises, orthogonality, and—choice.
#11 · development
The Next Adventure
On leaving Germany again, and the next big chapter of my life.
How to Counter Provocation and Rumor
Are there effective responses to being provoked, picked on, blamed, attacked? Absolutely—but they’re not all being taught or shared a lot. A few quotes that I’ve found useful.
#9 · misc
“Web Design as a Process” in Charts: Maintenance, Decay, Tech Debt, and Big Bang Launching
Web design is a process. This process relates to the quality and completeness of a given website, as observed over time. We can chart and understand different types of this process.
#8 · · development, quality
Why I Like Scrumban
Over the past years, I’ve become a fan of Scrumban, a mix of Scrum and Kanban. But what is Scrumban here, and what is there to like about Scrumban?
#7 · management
Website Optimization Measures, Part XXII
Web design is a process, running our own websites is awesome, and together it means there’s always something to tweak and improve and optimize. Select things I’ve done over the last few months.
#6 · · development, design, optimization
On the Well Astonishing Verdicts on Social Media
We may speak anything from 470,000,000 to 860,000,000 words in our lifetime. The tiniest fraction may be too much.
#5 · misc
Performance and Stay Questions in 1:1s
On a set of questions that are useful to ask every few weeks, for close alignment and connection, as well as well-being.
#4 · management
My Web Development Wishlist 2024
Respect, UX before DX, quality output that starts with conformance, running one’s own website, and adding as much as necessary, but as little as possible to web standards—five wishes to benefit our field, our users, and us as professionals.
#3 · · development, quality
Stop Closing Void Elements
Some developers believe in closing all HTML elements. Some have to close all HTML elements. Others don’t believe in doing so, or aren’t forced either way. In Upgrade Your HTML IV, I wrote a little about closing void elements.
#2 · · development, html
2023
My professional and personal highlights from the last year. (Happy 2024!)
#1 · misc