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diff --git a/_posts/2021-11-03-css-js-mistake.md b/_posts/2021-11-03-css-js-mistake.md deleted file mode 100644 index 5159d11..0000000 --- a/_posts/2021-11-03-css-js-mistake.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,51 +0,0 @@ ---- -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 - |