07.21.19
Gemini version available ♊︎The Web is Not JavaScript
Simpler is usually better
Summary: Simple sites respect visitors; rather than and instead of exploiting them or passing burdens to user-end browsers we should focus on text and links — the very core components of hypertext as opposed to bells and whistles
THE BLOATED Web is a massive problem. A short while ago we came to realise that the cost of proprietary fonts which Web sites impose on visitors do not affect these visitors only upon landing/rendering. As this post explains, these fonts become a yoke on browsers all the time. And that’s just fonts; not CSS, not JavaScript, not images and videos…
“We’re still quite minimalist when it comes to JavaScript and it has no effect on rendering. We keep it all locally hosted and fonts are used based on what visitors have, not what’s imposed on them.”As longtime readers are aware, Techrights still looks more or less the same as it looked in 2006. We still use the same theme, which we customised mildly. We’re still quite minimalist when it comes to JavaScript (it’s all locally hosted and Free/libre software); it has no effect on rendering. We keep it all locally hosted and fonts are used based on what visitors have, not what’s imposed on them. It keeps performance, privacy, and browser compatibility a lot better than most sites (mobile devices may be the Achilles heel because back in 2006 not to many people read sites from phones and we have no alternative layout other than printer-oriented). █
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Canta said,
July 22, 2019 at 12:18 pm
“Simpler is usually better”.
I agree. But oversimplification is also a very common problem.
“simple” != “good” (or “good enough” for the case). And most important: “simple” != “easy”, which may apply either to make something or to use it.
I feel respected by Techrights, and I’m thankful by its compromise against web bloat. Yet, some polishing here and there is not a bad thing.
Also, there’s no rush anyways. I hate that feeling that asking for changes is adding extra work for you people.
You know what? Why don’t you just publish the theme’s code somewhere we (the readers) could take a look at it? I bet most of us have the knowledge/skills to give you a hand with this.
Dr. Roy Schestowitz Reply:
July 22nd, 2019 at 10:52 pm
Becca Wei’s site has been down for years, but her theme can still be found online, e.g. https://themesinfo.com/template-wordpress-ocadia-gz4y
Our derivative merely adds some site-specific bits in the right places.