More Refinements and Why I Won’t Use CSS Variables
February 7th, 2012
I have spent the last few days more ably refining my site. A never-ending job, especially considering my insistence on not using a pre-made CMS.
But I would like to take a moment to explain why using css variables is poor idea. Most articles against css variables such as this one argue that adding css variables is not efficient because the scope of the css file is not long enough to warrant it. This is for the most part true. Sites whose CSS is extremely long and complicated often suffer from disorganized css syndrome. That is, they don’t take the moment to plan out their css logically. As a consequence they have more exceptions than rules in the css and it degrades into a huge, unmanageable mess. Now, from time to time we all write quick and dirty css. But that should not stop us from recognizing that such css is poorly written and ought to be different. Instead of taking the time to define css variables and apply them recursively, take the time to plan out your css styles hierarchically: what styles can I write in parent elements so that they are inherited by child elements.
More to the point, however, is that that most people over-clutter their pages. They mismatch various elements and styles until their site is a hodgepodge of disconnected elements. The truth is that users don’t need a link to every page on your site. They need links whatever is relevant to what they are looking at. Sure, a homepage is a great place to through all your links, but web users more often appreciate and engage a predictable page layout and hierarchy.
I also decided to stop appending the last modified tag on notes. It was only so that I would know if I had made a revision, but I find adding it cumbersome, especially as I continue to write in pure (multi)markdown. Also, I have decided to discontinue many formats of texts. Instead, I will provide a multimarkdown generated page for some content. I am not sure if I will remove the already existing content, but there won’t be any future additions.