I’m just assuming that nobody knows this little website even exists, and that nobody will ever ask me questions about it… But because I still like to pretend, I’m going to answer imaginary questions for an imaginary audience!
First launched into Gemini space near the end of January 2023, it was meant to be a place where I could share my thoughts and experiences in a world that by all appearances, seems to have no concept of “less is more” when it comes to using a computer. But it soon turned into a dump site for a bunch of angry rants that amounted to me not reading the manual and making a lot of mistakes along the way to not getting things done, only to learn the error of my ways and finally getting something done…
Now it’s an actual website that aims to serve the original purpose which was first envisioned back in 2017: to write about my journey in the fight against software bloat, while also shining some warm and dim light on some cool CLI tools. It’s also where I share my (sometimes snooty and pretentious) opinions about certain things which catch my attention, for better or worse.
However, the content here is not intended to upset anyone despite my tendency to be a bit harsh and perhaps even unreasonable at times. With that said, there is a “special” section of the site for certain writings which are perhaps not suitable for certain audiences, and it’s been marked accordingly. I may be strongly opinionated but I do have morals.
I wanted to build a website that looks good on just about any browser that can render HTML, with or without CSS. That includes older browsers which do not support CSS or even JavaScript. Since the content here is primarily just text, it made no sense to use any kind of fancy design elements that might otherwise conflict with the goal of maximum compatibility, even if it would earn points for style.
It’s also a statement against the excessive (mis)use of JavaScript, CSS and other things that make up a modern (usually bloated) web page. I aim to prove once and for all that a website can look good with very little construction, because less is more, even if you have the bandwidth to download the entire NCIS series in 4K resolution in just a few hours (which I do not, btw)… Also, I’m kind of lazy and lacking ideas because I’m not a web page designer, so it seemed a good idea to just Keep It Simple Stupid.
I don’t believe in the monetization of the web, partly because when it comes to capitalism it seems humans have no concept of moderation. In fact moderation is itself a foreign concept to capitalism and is more often viewed as counter to the acquisition of the almighty dollar… which is why you now see ads in just about every website, and on every Android app, and on every TV channel, and on many streaming services, and also…
Cookies are another needless security risk which today goes hand in hand with advertisements, and I don’t believe in placing anything on someone’s computer without their permission, let alone for the purpose of profit. With that said, there is absolutely no functionality to this website which would even necessitate the use of cookies, and because I don’t believe in advertisements there’s no need to grab whatever cookies were dumped on the visitors machine prior to arriving here either (and learning where they’ve been as a result).
Which brings me to JavaScript… I hate it, I think it’s stupid and I wish it would just go away forever. I miss the days when websites were simple and filled to the brim with actual content that was interesting to read, without all the needless scripting that goes into a modern web page. I’m just writing about things, and the best way to transmit that information is plain old ASCII or UTF-8 text. Let the words fill the screen! No heavy graphics, no fancy (and frequently broken) layouts, just a splash of color and a whole lotta TEXT. And maybe the occasional image if the words alone aren’t enough.
Well it’s my first website! I’m still new to all of this and it’s going to take some time to figure things out.
Apparently (from what I’ve read at multiple sources, anyway) it’s not so quick and simple to setup HTTPS on your own using LetsEncrypt, and because I’m relying on the kind folks at sdf.org for free hosting I am bound by their membership rules. Until I upgrade to the ARPA membership (which I will!), the site is stuck with using unencrypted HTTP for the time being.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Gemini, quite the opposite! In fact I love the idea of minimalist pages in a place where JavaScript and all its bullshit simply cannot exist, which is part of the reason I started there to begin with. But it’s also filled with tons of “testing” pages written by people who are just getting started with Gemini, and that can make it harder to be discovered because you now need to compete with the constant flow of new “testing 123” pages and similar sparse capsules that kind of give the wrong impression that Gemini is just a toy.
It also requires a Gemini client or a plugin for regular browsers, which means the content is less likely to be seen because Gemini is still quite new and seems to attract only certain types of crowds. This is why I moved to the web, to ensure the content is more widely accessible and perhaps even more likely to be found. With that said, I have no objections to maintaining a website and its Gemini clone at the same time, but for now I’m just going to focus on one thing at a time.
It’s a reference to the Dark Tower series by Stephen King, which happens to be my favorite story and has been an influence in many ways. The whole theme of this website is based on core elements of that story, such as the home page banner and the fact that “the world has moved on”.
Làithean fada agus oidhcheannan tlachdmhor!
It means “Long days and pleasant nights!”, which is a kind of blessing that appears frequently in the Dark Tower story, sort of like saying “cheers” or “good health”. In this case I’ve chosen to write it in Scottish Gaelic because, well… no reason. I just felt like it.
I’ve actually never seen a real ZX Spectrum before, let alone used one, so… Oh you’re not talking about the computer, are you? Well I did have a ham radio licence but never got around to using it before it expired, and because the radio spectrum is- …not the kind of spectrum you meant? Right, well I suppose you could say I’m “on the spectrum” in a kind of loose way since I tend to consume music like it’s a drug, but because I’m rather deaf to high frequencies I don’t get the full effect of the audible spectrum and am only “buzzing” on sound.
…Still not what you meant, is it? Well at this point I don’t know what other spectrum you could be talking about. After all, the “autism spectrum” has been watered down to the point of being practically meaningless thanks to everyone thinking they’re “kind of autistic” when the reality is that they should just stop wasting so much time on social media and Tik-Tok and actually interact with another human being for once. You know, eye contact! Remember eyes?
Only then can I honestly say that I am on the autism spectrum without feeling like I’m fighting with mass ignorance to reclaim what is rightfully my place, despite not wanting to be on the damn spectrum to begin with.