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+---
+layout: post
+title: "A Reality Where CSS and JavaScript Don't Exist"
+date: 2021-11-03
+---
+
+
+*This is my personal opinion. Please leave your pitchforks at the door...*
+
+I love CSS. I can spend hours deep diving into a website's CSS system and never find myself getting bored. It's pretty amazing to see the problems other designers are able to solve with just a little bit of custom styling and determination.
+
+I like JavaScript. It serves it's purpose and makes complex functionality on the web easier to wrangle in and understand.
+
+*But I think both should have never come into existence*.
+
+### Heresey!
+
+I know, I know - this website itself uses a little, teeny-tiny amount of CSS. I am indeed a hypocrite - but did I ever claim that I *practice* what I preach? At least this personal website is JavaScript-free... (apart from a handful of CodePen examples embedded in some of the tutorials).
+
+### Moving On...
+
+I'm not a complete idiot. I realize that the web has evolved significantly over the years, and to propose that it should have remained stagnant with it's original concept of "paged documents" is foolish. But that *is* what I'm suggesting - at least, partially.
+
+### Consistent & Boring
+
+Out there in the multiverse is a reality where the web is a complete borefest. Information is the only driving factor to visit a "web page" and PWAs have never come to exist. Custom styling, fancy interactive animations and single-page functionality isn't even something that can be implemented. The web is just a system of HTML/plaintext documents sharing information and data. Users browse the web in quick bursts to satisfy their queries or read something interesting. Then, they return to *real life*.
+
+My goodness what a *beautiful* reality that would be. Consistent, boring and wonderful.
+
+### "Wait - Aren't You a Designer?"
+
+Yes - and again more hypocrisy. My livelihood depends on software requiring custom UIs and properly audited UX flows. By suggesting this change I am throwing myself under the bus and putting myself out of work. All my experience would become worthless and the world of software *design* would cease to exist.
+
+**I would be okay with that**. If it meant the web as a whole was a better place - so be it.
+
+### A Look at the "New World"
+
+Sometimes it is easier to visualize a concept instead of just discussing it. Below you can find an example of a "converted" website[^1] showcasing how sites would look and feel in this design-less reality:
+
+- Wealthsimple: [Current Website](https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-ca/) / [New Version](/etc/html-only/wealthsimple/)
+
+As you can see, all the *fluff* has been removed from the existing design and only the content remains. No scroll-jacking or extra JavaScript libraries are downloaded. Users can easily skim through all the content and screen readers won't struggle through any custom elements. It also loads incredibly fast.
+
+Of course, to our[^2] eyes, this design might look ugly or seem as though the site's CSS failed to load - but in a reality where this is the standard, it is beautifully minimal. Either way, I find that this was at least a fun thought experiment and hopefully leaves you thinking about how the web *could have been* as well.
+
+Now, back to designing UIs for the web...
+
+[^1]: Selected site based on my own personal preference
+
+[^2]: Referring to current users of the web
+