Generating this Website Statically, the Hard Way
Hi!
The only thing I can report on this quarter is that I went down one of the most common computer-person-with-a-website rabbit holes imaginable: I wrote my own static site generator. At least, I didn't do it to procrastinate actually writing something, but to keep this site in a healthy state.
This website is now just plain HTML & CSS, just how Tim ↗ intended. It is generated from ~2000 lines of bespoke Typescript code. I documented the details in a little write-up — there are some fun things in there: custom markdown directives, backlinking with highlighted text fragments, and cross-markdown transclusions. Enjoy!
Worth Checking Out
What I've been reading lately:
- I'm continuing to progress slowly on the mathematics thread. I finished Concepts of Modern Mathematics ↗ which I really enjoyed, and I went through All the Math You Missed ↗ (well, mostly just skimmed); I think I want to learn a bit more about category theory, so I ordered the classic Conceptual Mathematics ↗.
- I also read Uncontrolled ↗, and I mostly enjoyed the first, more philosophical part.
- I've been also making my way through The Innovator's Dilemma ↗, The Origin of Wealth ↗, and How to Be Idle ↗ (How to do Nothing ↗ resonated more with me though).
On the web:
- Apple held another WWDC and demoed Math Notes ↗, which seem at least a bit related to the Programmable Ink research at Ink&Switch, though I think the similarity is fairly superficial — both do have some form of programming and drawing on the same canvas, but in Apple's universe that's all that it is: changing the numbers doesn't impact the drawing, or the other way around. They are as disconnected as having a code editor on one side of the screen, and a scanned drawing on the other ↗. I'm also not a fan of a machine trying to imitate your own handwriting, I think it should have its own voice ↗.
- I'm not sure what this is, but it sure has nice UI ↗
- You don't know this yet, but you do need this 1h23m YouTube video of someone overengineering a DIY oscillating belt sander ↗ in your life
- Diffusion On Syntax Trees For Program Synthesis ↗
- Tyler is iterating on Spellburst ↗
- CADmium: A Local-First CAD Program Built for the Browser ↗
- Toolpaths projected on top of CNCs ↗
- "Lode Runner" was written in a ... pdf ↗
Fin
Summer has finally begun, which means that once again, I'm optimizing for swimming in the nearby outdoor pools as often as possible. Life is also keeping me busy, so I make no promises about any new side-projects for the next issue, but I do have a couple of things in the back of my mind.
In the meantime, if you find any issues with the new website, do let me know!